


Acceptance

by SingingButterflyRose



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-04-16 18:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4635687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingingButterflyRose/pseuds/SingingButterflyRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You probably think I'm crazy, don't you?" "No, I don't think you're crazy." "Well if I'm not crazy then what am I?" She smiled at him, "You're Ichigo."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“ichigo…Ichigo…”

“Go away.”

“We just want to play, Ichigo.”

“Yeah, let’s havae some fun, Ichigo.”

He felt a cold hand on his shoulder and whirled around, “Don’t. Touch. Me”

Another pair of hands touched him, “There’s no need to be so tense, Ichigo. Why are you always so tense around us?”

He grabbed the nearest object, a lamp, and threw it at the one who touched him. It shattered against the wall, “Damn it, leave me the fuck alone!”

The two of them snickered, “Uh oh, you’ve done it now, Ichigo.”

“They’ll be here any minute.”

Ichigo glared at them, “This is your entire fault. If the two would just fucking leave I-”

The door creaked open. The person in the doorway looked around the room, noticing the shattered lamp on the floor. He shook his head, “What have we told you about breaking things, Ichigo? This is the third time this week.”

Ichigo pointed towards the other side of the room, “I do it because _they_ won’t leave me alone.”

The man at the door looked to where Ichigo was pointing and saw no one there.

“Alright, let’s go Ichigo. I think a little time in the confinement chamber ought to cool you down.”

Ichigo panicked and began to back away, “No, don’t send me in there…”

Fingers snapped and two guards came into the room. Both grabbing Ichigo by the arms and dragging him out.

“Let go of me damn it! I’m not fucking crazy, you hear me? It’s _their_ fault I’m in here. Everything is _their_ fault.”

The two that were bothering Ichigo before watched with amused expressions as he was dragged down the hallway, kicking and screaming.

One turned to the other, “We’re really horrible to him, aren’t we Grimmjow?”

Grimmjow smirked at his white haired accomplice, “Yeah…”

“Should we give him a break?”

“Of course not, Shiro. What would be the fun in that?”


	2. Chapter 2

Orihime stared up at the huge building in front of her. This was it. Today was her first day starting her new job at Las Noches Hospital. She was surprised she had found a job so quickly after graduating with her Doctorate in Psychology.

Back in college, everyone had laughed at her for choosing such a ridiculous major. Those who majored in Psychology _never_ found jobs. They kept pushing her to try more _physical_ forms of healing, like Cardiothoracic or Neurological surgery. Orihime didn’t think that way. She believed healing began from the core, which is why she chose Psychology. She was going to heal people mentally and emotionally.

 During her interview her nerves got the best of her and she stuttered incoherently throughout. It had been so embarrassing, she was sure they wouldn’t want to see her again. And then a week after the interview she got a call from them. They told her they liked her honesty and attitude and they needed more people like her. She was over the moon when they said they looked forward in working with her.

Now here she was, twenty-four years old, and about to start her new job as a Psychotherapist.  She grinned. Dr Orihime Inoue had a nice ring to it.

Still, despite her excitement the building in front of her looked rather frightening and dark, as if it held forbidden secrets.

She laughed, “Don’t be silly, Orihime. It’s just your nerves, that’s all. They can make _anything_ look intimidating.”

She took a deep breath and walked up to the door, “Well, here it goes.”

The door was heavy, and she had to use all her body weight to open the damn thing. She frowned slightly at the door once she once inside, “They need to get that fixed.”

“Yeah, we’ve been trying to work on that.”

The voice made Orihime jump and she turned to find a woman smiling at her. She was a very beautiful woman. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back in waves and she had soft blue eyes. She was wearing what looked like a nurses outfit. Orihime couldn’t help but think her attire was inappropriate. The woman’s breasts looked like they were about to spill out at any moment.

“Is there something I can help you with, ma’am?” the lady asked kindly, “You seem lost.”

“Um, yes. My name is Orihime Inoue and-”

“Matsumoto!”

The lady, Matsumoto, cringed, “Oh dear, he’s spotted me.”

Orihime turned to where Matsumoto was looking and saw a very miffed… _boy?_  Why was a boy wearing a doctor’s outfit? Orihime couldn’t help but stare at him and his shocking white hair. Not to mention his blue eyes.

“Ah, Dr. Hitsugaya. Good morning.”

“Don’t  ‘good morning’ me, Matsumoto. How many times have I told you to dress appropriately?”

“Erm, I lost count after the 500th time.”

Orihime saw Dr. Hitsugaya’s hand twitch. She could have sworn he was about to face palm, but he kept his cool. Upon seeing Orihime he turned to her, “Can I help you?”

“Yes…um…I’m here to start my new job today, uh, _Doctor?”_

Orihime couldn’t stop herself from adding the questioning tone to ‘doctor’. Hitsugaya eyed her suspiciously, “Why the questioning tone?”

Her face flamed, “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just…you look to young to be a doctor.”

A vein ticked in his forehead and Orihime feared she crossed a line.

“Oh, don’t get angry with her, Dr. Hitsugaya. Not everyone knows you’re a child prodigy who graduated from college at the age of fourteen and managed to get his doctorate in Cardiothoracic by the age of sixteen.”

Orihime’s eyes widened, “ _Wow. Now I feel kind of pathetic.”_

Dr. Hitsugaya grumbled in agreement. “You said you were starting a job here today, is that right? What did you say your name was?”

“Orihime Inoue.”

“I see, and who contacted you to come here?”

“Um, Dr. Aizen I believe. He’s the one I had the interview with.”

Matsumoto lit up, “Dr. Aizen you say? What a coincidence, I was just about to head over to the side of the building where his office is located myself. I’d be more than happy to take you.”

“Really? That would be wonderful!”

Dr. Hitsugaya scowled, “No, _I’ll_ be taking her. Dr. Ichimaru’s office is on that side of the building. Don’t think I don’t know what the two of you do behind closed doors.”

Orihime saw Matsumoto grin sheepishly and she figured that she and this Dr. Ichimaru fellow were in some sort of relationship.

“Come on, Ms. Inoue. I’ll show you the way.”

She smiled gratefully at him before turning and waving at Matsumoto.

The hospital was a bustling place. Orihime couldn’t help but look at everything and everyone in awe. She had always thought hospitals were fascinating, the way they worked was like a beehive, or an anthill. To the outside world, it looked like chaos, but on the inside it was very well structured system.

“Here we are.”

Dr. Hitsugaya’s voice made her jump slightly. She looked and saw she was standing in the doorway of Dr. Aizen’s office.

Dr. Hitsugaya knocked on the door to announce their presence, “Dr. Aizen, there’s someone here to see you.”

Dr. Aizen looked up from his paperwork and smiled, “Ah, Ms. Inoue. I’m glad you got here alright.. Thank you for bringing her Toshiro.”

Dr Hitsugaya cleared his throat and Dr. Aizen chuckled, “Excuse me, _Dr. Hitsugaya_.”

Dr. Hitsugaya left the room and Orihime stood awkwardly at the door, not really sure on what to do.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Inoue. We have a lot to discuss.”

 

* * *

 

Dr. Ichimaru watched as a young woman, with a confident grin on her face, exited Dr. Aizen’s office. Dr. Ichimaru, being who he was, decided to investigate.

“Who was she, Sōsuke?” he asked, waltzing into Dr. Aizen’s office and lounging in a chair as if he lived there.

“Hello Gin.” Dr. Aizen replied without looking up from his newspaper.

“Well?”

“That was Orihime Inoue. She’s going to be our new Psychotherapist.”

Gin chuckled, “Psychotherapist huh? Let me guess, she’s going to heal people with love and compassion.”

Sōsuke smirked, “Be nice, Gin.”

“She seems like she’d be fun to tease.”

“You think everyone is fun to tease, Gin.”

Gin grinned, “This is true.”

“Actually Gin, I would like you to keep an eye on her.”

“Oh?”

“I have a feeling Ms. Inoue seems too curious for her own good. I wouldn’t want her to… _wander.”_

“I understand. I won’t take my eyes off her.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Good Morning, Dr. Inoue.”

“Good Morning.”

“Good Morning, Dr. Inoue. You’re looking lovely  this morning.”

“Thank you, and good morning to you too.”

Orihime beamed. She was so happy to be working at the Seireitei Hospital. Everyone here was so nice and they all seemed to know who she was. She’d only been working there for two days.

“Orihime!”

Orihime turned to find Matsumoto running towards her, waving enthusiastically.

“Good morning, Ms. Matsumoto.”

“Ms. Matsumoto? Oh honey, when you call me that it makes me feel old, call me Rangiku.”

“Oh, ok…Rangiku.”

“ _Matsumoto.”_

Rangiku slowly turned around. Dr. Hitsugaya looked up at her, tapping his foot impatiently and crossing his arms as if he were miffed.

“Oh, Dr. Hitsugaya, what a pleasant surprise,  is something wrong?”

“I sent you to gather a patient’s medical report thirty minutes ago and you ask me if something is wrong?”

Rangiku laughed sheepishly, “I guess I got side tracked.”

“ _Go,_ Matsumoto.”

“I’m going, I’m going. See you later, Orihime.”

Hitsugaya stared after her for a while, making sure she didn’t make any detours.

“Um, Sorry Dr. Hitsugaya, I didn’t mean to distract her.”

“It isn’t your fault. Matsumoto has the attention span of a goldfish.”

Orihime smiled slightly.

“This is your second day, right? How are things going for you?”

“Oh, they’re going well. I just got my first assignment today. Although, I’m still unsure about where some things are.”

“Who is your patient, perhaps I could help you?”

“Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.”

“I see. I’ll show you the way, follow me.”

Toshiro led Orihime down a long hallway before arrive at a door. He held his hand up, stopping her from going in.

“Before you go, there is something you need to know: Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, she’s not what she appears to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nelliel had a very serious brain trauma a few weeks back. When we examined her, her pelvis was bruised and her vaginal tissue was scared, showing clear signs of sexual assault. We’re thinking the brain trauma she received is the result of said assault.”

“Did you catch the perpetrator?”

We swiped for semen when she was sleeping, but the results have not come back.”

“What type of brain trauma did she receive?”

“She believes she’s only five years old and doesn’t remember anything of her life after that.”

Orihime took a deep breath, composing herself. She hadn’t even met Nelliel and she was already feeling emotionally attached to her.

She quietly opened the door. Nelliel, who was about her age was humming contently to herself. She had the strangest colored hair, like a turquoise green, and her hazel eyes were big and bright. There was a large scar that ran from her forehead to the bridge of her nose, and across her nose was a red tattoo. Toys, made for little girls were placed all on the bed Nelliel was in. Toys ranging from dolls, to stuffed animals, to children’s coloring books, and a play tea set. Nelliel was currently having a tea party with a few of her dolls. The scene tugged at Orihime’s heart strings, and she couldn’t help the small sniffle come out of her mouth.

Upon realizing someone was there, Nelliel looked up and smiled, “Hello, My name’s Nel Tu. What’s your name?”

“Orihime Inoue.”

“Orihime? That’s a pretty name.”

Orihime smiled, “So what are you doing, Nel?”

“I’m having a tea party.”

Nelliel scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to her, “Come join me.”

Orihime sat down next her and Nelliel pretended to pour her a cup of tea.

“Thank you, Nel.”

“It’s hot, so be sure to blow on it.”

It got quiet between the two of them as they pleasantly sipped on their tea. Nelliel began humming again and Orihime unconsciously swung her legs to the beat of the tune.

“More tea?” Nelliel asked, holding the teapot.

“Yes please.”

“Miss Orihime?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you a doctor?”

“Yes, I am.”

“The other doctors have told me that I’m sick, but I don’t feel bad. Do you know what I’m sick with?”

Orihime fought the urge to bite her lip. She couldn’t tell Nelliel the truth, but she could lie either.

“Well Nel, you had a bad accident not too long ago, and you hit your head really bad.”

Nelliel tapped her head, “But my head feels fine?”

“Sometimes when people hurt themselves, they don’t realize they’ve done it because they don’t feel any pain.”

“Oh. Are you going to help me feel better?”

Orihime smiled, “Of course.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Yes, what is it?”

Nelliel leaned over to whisper in Orihime’s ear, “Sometimes I feel something funny in my tummy?”

“Oh? Like a tummy ache?”

She shook her head, “No. I’ll show you, maybe you’ll be able to feel it to.”

She placed Orihime’s hand on her torso and waited. Orihime’s eyes widened as she felt the faintest kick.

“See? Did you feel that?”

“Yes, I did.”

Do you know what it is?”

“It just means you’re hungry. Would you like me to get you something?”

Nelliel smiled brightly, “Yes please.”

As Orihime left the room she frowned. Did the others know about Nelliel’s condition?

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Ichigo!”

Ichigo grunted as he felt something heavy jump on his bed, “Go away.”

“But I have some news.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’re being awfully rude this morning,” another voice came from beside him.

“The two of you deserve it. Do you have any idea what they did to me last night?”

“Hey, we apologized didn’t we?”

Tch. Like an apology can fix anything.”

“Well if you weren’t so easily angered then it wouldn’t be a problem.

Ichigo turned to look at the menace on his right, “Shut up, Grimmjow.”

Grimmjow merely smiled widely.

“ _Ichigo.”_

“What?” Ichigo groaned, turning to his left to look at the other menace, Shiro.

“So you’ll never guess what I saw. I was wandering around upstairs and-”

“You were doing _what?_ Don’t tell me you were causing mayhem up there?”

Shiro scoffed, “Don’t be ridiculous, I alone cause mayhem for you.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes and Grimmjow snorted.

“Anyways, They have a new member on their staff, and _she_ is a looker.”

“Whoopdee-fucking-do”

“You’re such a kill joy.”

“I really don’t care if there’s a new staff member up there. It’s not like I’m going to meet her anyways.”

Ichigo slid off the bed and opened the door.

“Where are ya goin’?”

“I’m just going to walk around...I’ll be back.”

Grimmjow and Shiro looked at each other before hopping off the bed as well to follow him.

“What are you doing?”

“Idiot, we’re coming with you. It’s dangerous to wander these halls alone.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. The only thing dangerous about this place was the two of them.

“Whatever, just don’t do anything stupid and get me into trouble.”

Shiro grinned, “Of course not.”

“We wouldn’t dream of it,” Grimmjow followed, also sporting a grin himself

Ichigo cursed himself for opening his mouth.

 

* * *

 

“Oh hello Orihime, are you already done with your first patient?” Rangiku greeted her as she saw her in the cafeteria.

“No, I’m just getting Nel some crackers and juice.”

Rangiku noticed Orihime’s down trodden look and frowned, “Is something the matter, hun?”

“Do you know about Nelliel’s condition?”

“Yes I know. All of doctors and nurses know the basic reason why our patients are patients in the first place.”

“Did you know that she’s pregnant?”

Rangiku sighed, yes, I know.”

“She has the mind of the five year old. Her body is going through things she doesn’t understand. What do you plan on telling her when she starts having contractions, or when her water breaks, or when she’s in labor?”

“Don’t get in such a fuss, we’ll figure things out. At the moment the only thing we can do is try and help her regain her memory. Which is where _you_ come in. You’re a Psychotherapist, you’re job is to heal people mentally and emotionally. Perhaps, during your time with Nelliel, you will help her regain her memories.”

“I just never thought I’d get something so serious my first time…”

Rangiku laid a hand on Orihime’s shoulder, “It’s scary the first time, I know. Especially when your first case is something like this, but you have to be strong. If you’re not strong for your patients, they’ll believe that getting better is impossible. Sometimes they can’t be healed. Sometimes it is impossible. But you cannot let them know this. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand, thank you Rangiku.”

“Anytime, sweetie. Now run along, Nelliel probably getting worried about you.”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, a tall man entered the hospital. His black hair reached his shoulder and looked greasy, part of it covering his left eye, along with a white eye patch, leaving only his right eye—which was grey and slanted—exposed.

He had an intimidating aura to him, and everyone made sure to get out of his way as he walked up to the front desk.

“Um, yes? Can I help you?” the receptionist asked rather warily.

The man leaned down and flashed a creepy smile, causing the receptionist to lean back in her chair, startled.

“Yes, I’m here to visit Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. The name’s Nnoitra Gilga.”

“Yes sir. One moment please.”

Nnoitra sat down in one of the available chairs and crossed his arms. It had been a long time since he had last seen Nelliel, he wondered if she had any _surprises_ for him.

 

* * *

 

Orihime hummed to herself as she walked down the hallway back to Nelliel’s room. She was confident now all thanks to Rangiku.

Her smile however dropped as she entered Nelliel’s room. Nelliel was at the end of her bed with her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. She was shaking, her eyes were wide with fright, and she looked on the verge of tears.

Rushing to her side, Orihime grabbed Nelliel’s hand affectionately, “Nel, what’s the matter? Did something happen?”

Nelliel merely pointed to the other side of the room. Orihime slowly turned and was shocked to see a man sitting in a chair. How could she have not noticed him when she walked in?

“Excuse me? Who are you?”

“The name’s Nnoitra Gilga. I’m just here to visit my dear friend, Nelliel.”

Orihime turned back to Nel, “Nel, is this man your friend?”

She shook her head.

 “Do you know him at all?”

Nel shook her head again but stuttered, “H-he’s a bad man, Miss Orihime. A bad, bad man.”

“How is he a bad man, Nel?”

“I have a funny feeling, Miss Orihime. A funny feeling, and he makes me scared.”

“She’s saying ridiculous things because of her memory loss. You understand.”

“Well yes, but-”

Orihime stopped herself. How did this man know about Nelliel’s condition? When Orihime looked at Nelliel’s report, she had no record of family or friends as contacts to inform her of her condition. So how…

“How did you know about Nelliel’s condition, sir?”

Nnoitra cursed under his breath, which Orihime took note of.

I think it’s best if you leave, sir.”

“Leave? But I just got here?”

“Please, sir. I’m asking you politely to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

_“Leave!”_

Nnoitra’s eyes widened, slightly startled. Orihime did the same. _Never_ had she raised her voice at someone before. She didn’t know what to do. Was it against the rules to raise one’s voice at hospital guest? Would she get in trouble.

“Is something wrong?” Both Nnoitra and Orihime turned to look towards the door. Doctor Sōsuke Aizen stood there, a concerned look on his face.

“What’s going on, Dr. Inoue?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Dr. Aizen. It’s just, Nelliel doesn’t feel comfortable with this man here. You understand, I have to keep a stress free environment for my patients.”

“Of course, Dr. Inoue. I understand.”

_“Bitch.”_

“Please refrain from using language in this hospital, sir. If you would follow me.”

Nnoitra reluctantly followed Dr. Aizen out of the room, turning once more to give Orihime a chilling glare.

Orihime went back to Nel and embraced her, “It’s alright Nel, he’s gone. He’s never going to come back.”

Orihime hoped her promise could be kept, and she wondered if that man was the one responsible for what happened to Nel.

 

* * *

 

Aizen slapped Nnoitra across the face in his office. Nnoitra glared at him, but did nothing more.

“You’re a fool, Nnoitra. Just what did you think you’d gain from coming here, hmm?”

“I don’t know, a boost in ego?” he grinned.

“I’ve lost two of my Espada members because of your foolishness, Nnoitra. Pantera is dead because of you, and Gamuza thinks she’s a five year old.”

“Tch, _Pantera?_ Pantera is dead because he didn’t do the job you assigned to him. I just did it for him, and he got the blame while I got the glory. Besides, _Everybody_ knew who Pantera was. He was bound to get caught be the police sooner or later. I just sped up the process. As for Gamuza, well…you understand. Things happen.” He ended with a grin.

“Nevertheless, I won’t tolerate your recklessness anymore. I wouldn’t want to send Santa Teresa to death row myself now, would I?”

“I understand, sir.”

“Very well. You may go.”

Nnoitra left the room, rather begrudgingly. Not too long after Dr. Ichimaru entered the office.

“You weren’t eavesdropping were you Gin?”

“Of course not sir, I would dream of it.”

“Have you been keeping an eye on Dr. Inoue?”

“I have.”

“Well I want you to keep an even closer eye on her. Because of Nnoitra’s stupidity in visiting Gamuza, Dr. Inoue might be getting more curious and suspect something of him.”

“Understood, sir.”

 

* * *

 

The day at the hospital was coming to a close. Orihime had spent the entire day with Nelliel, who had calmed down quite considerably, although she still had that wild look in her eyes.

“Miss Orihime, can you stay here with me tonight?”

“I don’t think doctors are allowed to stay overnight, Nel.”

“ _Please.”_

Orihime couldn’t resist the puppy dog eyes, “Well, alright. I’ll go ask to make sure. Hold tight, I’ll be back.

Nel nodded as she clutched her pillow.

Orihime wandered the halls once more. Doctors were leaving there post as those in the night shift began to take over. Orihime searched, looking the head doctor’s office.

“Are you looking for something, Orihime?”

“Oh, Rangiku. Yes, I’m looking for the chief doctor here.”

“Oh, you’ll want Dr. Unohaha’s office. It’s going to be down the hall to your left, third door on the right.”

“Thank you!” Orihime said, walking briskly in that direction.

“Enter,” a serene voice said after Orihime knocked on the door.

Orihime was surprised to find that Dr. Unohana was a woman. A very beautiful woman at that. She had a very kind face, and her long hair was braided down the front, rather than the back.

“Oh, Dr. Inoue, it’s very nice to see you. How can I help you dear?”

“How did you know I was Dr. Inoue?”

“Oh don’t be silly dear, I know all the doctors in this hospital. How has your first day gone?”

“It’s been going well?”

“ _Been_ going well? You talk as if you’re not finished. Aren’t you only supposed to have the day shift?”

“Yes Ma’am. But you see, my patient, Nelliel, she seems more at peace when I’m with her. I was wondering-”

“If you could watch her at night as well? That’s a lot of work, especially for a new comer like you.”

“It’s worth it.”

Dr. Unohana closed her eyes, “Hmm…alright.”

Orihime beamed, “Oh, thank you very much.”

“Would you like to be paid overtime?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m doing this because I want to, not because I have to.”

“Alright. Off you go.”

Unohana smiled as Orihime left the room, “She’s a good kid.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you staying?” Nelliel asked brightly as Orihime walked back into the room.

“Yes, I’m staying.”

Nelliel clapped enthusiastically and patted the seat next to her, “We have to finish our tea party.”

“Alright, alright.”

They continued their tea party as the night rolled on, and soon Nelliel eyes began to get droopy. Orihime could tell she was trying her hardest to stay awake, but being a pregnant teenager with the mindset of a five year old did things to one’s body.

“Nel, are you getting sleepy?”

No,” she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

“I can read you a bedtime story, if you want?”

Her eyes  lit up, “Oh yes, please.”

Orihime tapped her chin, trying to think of a good story, “Hmm, let’s see…Oh! You’ll like this one: Once upon a time there was a little girl whose father built her a magic tree house.”

“A _magic_ tree house?”

“That’s right.

Orihime continued with the story, making up things as she went along. Not too long after that, Nelliel’s eyes had closed and her breathing had become slow and steady. Orihime smiled, She’d imagined that Nel would be a great person to hang out with once—and if—she regained her memories.

“Well, I suppose I should get out of these scrubs,” she said to herself, making sure to keep quiet so not to wake Nel.

She walked to the room where doctors and nurses kept their belongings and began to change into more comfortable clothes. As  she pulled her shirt over her head, it caused one of her blue, flower hairpins—which was a gift from her deceased brother from long ago—to catch on her shirt, and fall to the floor. Just as the shirt was pulled over her eyes, she saw the hair pin bounce and proceed to drop down a small grate that was on the floor.

“Oh no!” Orihime cried as she dropped on her hands and knees to look in the grate. She hoped that she might be able to use a tool to get it out.

As she looked down the grate, she realized that using a tool would be impossible. Her hairpin twinkled at her, and she could tell it was a ways down there.

Her eyes began to get cloudy. That hairpin was something very special to her, and now it was gone. Forever.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. As she did so, her hairpin seemed to float.

“What in the world?”

She squinted her eyes to try to see in the dark place below her. Her eyes might have been deceiving her, but she could have sworn she saw someone down there. Or at least, a silhouette of someone.

Whoever that someone was, she saw them began to walk away, her hairpin still in their hand.

“S-stop. _Stop!”_

Either the mystery person didn’t hear her, or they were ignoring her because they kept on walking.

 

* * *

 

What’s that, Ichigo?” Shiro asked as Ichigo picked up something blue and shiny on the floor.

“A hairpin, is what it looks like.”

Ichigo studied it. How did a hairpin get down here? Did it belong to one of the doctors in the hospital above them.

“That looks vaguely familiar,” Shiro said, studying the hairpin.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, “Familiar?”

“Yeah, I think I’ve seen it before, but I can’t remember where…”

“In any case, I’ll keep it with me and let Aizen know so he can give this back to whoever it belongs to.”

“Tch. Aizen. Fucking scumbag, hiding who he is from everyone up there,” Grimmjow grumbled.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, no matter if we want to or not.”

“If I was alive-”

“But you’re not, you’re dead. Both of you are. And I’m clinically ‘insane’. We can’t do anything. Besides, even if you were alive, you’d probably be working under him still, _Pantera.”_

Grimmjow sent a glare towards Ichigo, but it was ignored as Ichigo began walking away again.

As they were walking, they heard a faint noise. It sounded like someone was saying “stop.”

Did you hear that, Ichigo?” Shiro asked, stopping.

“Yep,” Ichigo replied, not even bothering to look back.

“Aren’t you curious about what it was?”

“It was probably another ghost, and quite frankly I already deal with enough from the two of you.”

 

* * *

 

Orihime panicked. Someone was walking away with _her_ hairpin. There had to be a way down there. There just had to be. On top of that, why was there someone hiding below the hospital in the first place?

She sat down on the bench in the room and placed her head in her hands. What was she going to do?

After sitting on the bench for what seemed like decades, she decided to get up. There was no use staying upset, since it wasn’t going to do anything. She got up from the bench. It rocked a little before landing with a slight thud on the ground. She heard a click, as if something had been activated. The floor under the bench began to move, and a stairwell was revealed.

Orihime blinked. Had this always been there? The stairwell was very well hidden. Had the bench not moved, she probably wouldn’t have noticed it was there. She glanced around the room to make sure no one was watching. If this stairwell was that well hidden, then she assumed that _someone_ didn’t want people to know about it. But she wanted to find her hairpin…

“Well, here it goes…”

 

* * *

 

Gin watched as Orihime descended the stairwell.

“Well this isn’t good, I should go after her…”

“Oh _Gin,_ I’m waiting…” Rangiku’s voice sang down the hallway.

Gin smirked, “But I guess I can do it later…”

 

* * *

 

As Orihime walked down the stairs, the opening above her closed, causing it to become pitch black.

She felt around carefully with her foot for the next step. After all, she couldn’t see a thing, she didn’t want to fall.

Not too long after, dim lanterns began to light up.  Orihime was right, this place had been here a while, and from the looks of it, it seemed as if it was visited often.

“Such a strange place…”

It was indeed a strange place. The stairwell finally ended, and a hallway appeared. On either side of the hallway were multiple doors. All of them were open, but they were all empty save for a bed. Could this place have been a hospital in the past?

The hallway had many detours and dead ends, like a labyrinth. Orihime hoped she’d remember the way back.

Ahead of her she heard something, as if someone were talking. She sped up. Perhaps it was the person who took her hair pin…

She rounded a corner and collided with something, stumbling backwards. In front of her stood a young man, who didn’t look much older than her, staring at her with wide eyes.

He was rather handsome looking, almost distractingly so. All the way from his unusually bright orange hair, to his amber brown eyes, and he looked pretty fit.

Orihime cleared her throat, “Um hello, I’m looking for something. It’s a blue, flower hair pin. It looks like this one.” She pointed to the hairpin that she still had, “Have you seen it?”

The mystery person didn’t answer, but merely continued to stare at her as if she were some sort of ghost.

She shuffled her feet, and looked at the ground, “I know this is probably awkward for you. It is for me too. You see, I work in the hospital above, but I’m new. I’m Orihime Inoue, or Dr. Inoue, a Psychyatrist. I never knew a place like this was here…still, that hairpin is very special to me.”

She raised her eyes again and as she did they caught a glimpse of her hairpin in his hand.

“Oh! It’s my hairpin. Could I have it, please?” she asked, holding out her hand.

He looked at her hand, before looking back at her face with the same expression as before. Her brow furrowed.

 “Can you hear me?”  She took a step forward.

This seemed to startle him because he took a step back.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want my hairpin back. Please.”

She was about to take another step forward, but a hand on her shoulder made her jump and give an audible yelp. She spun around to see Dr. Ichimaru.

“Oh, Dr. Ichimaru, you frightened me. What is this place? And who is this young man?” she turned around only to find that he was gone.

“Where did he go? I promise he was here a moment ago.”

“This is bad, Dr. Inoue. You’ve seen too much.”

“What do you-”

A rag was quickly placed over her mouth and nose, and she blacked out.

 

* * *

 

Orihime squinted as her vision came back into focus. What had just happened? Did she have a dream? No, it was to real to be a dream

“Where am I?”

“In my office,” Dr. Aizen said as he entered and closed the door.

“Dr. Aizen, I-”

“What were you doing down there?”

“I-I was looking for my hairpin. It fell down a grate. I saw someone pick it up.  I didn’t mean any harm by going down there. What is that place anyways?”

“That was Hueco Mundo Asylum.”

“Was?”

“Yes, _was._ As you can see, it has since been abandoned.”

“But there was someone down there…”

“That was Ichigo Kurosaki. He’s a _special_ case.”

“How so?”

“You’ve already asked too many questions, and have seen too many things. Because of that, I’m going to have to get rid of you.”

“Get rid of me? What do you mean?”

“Well that should be obvious, shouldn’t it? Because Ichigo is a special case, no one knows of his existence but me and a few others. Now that you know, we wouldn’t want things to get out. He’s a danger to society. So you understand,  I have to prevent you from even mentioning him.”

Orihime’s eyes widened, “W-wait. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Maybe we can compromise?”

Aizen smirked, “Compromise, you say?”

“I could heal him.”

This time he laughed, “Heal him? No one can heal him. He thinks he can see ghost, insanity can’t be healed.”

Orihime stood up and looked at Aizen defiantly, “I _will_ heal him. Whatever he’s struggling with is right up my alley. I promise you.”

Aizen stared her down, waiting for her confidence to die, but it didn’t.

“Alright, we’ll see what you can do. I give you a month to make young Kurosaki…normal. On one condition.”

“What?”

“You must not speak of this to _anyone._ If you do, there will be severe consequences.”

Orihime suppressed a shuddered, if she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn he was threatening to kill her.

“It’s a deal.”

 

* * *

 

Ichigo paced his room. _“Why was that girl down here ? How did she get down there?”_ Ichigo had never seen anyone other than Aizen, Gin and Tousen, so why…

Ichigo looked at the hairpin still in his hand. She said it was special to her. Apparently it was since she didn’t care that someone was living below the hospital, but only about getting her hairpin.

“Hey, Ichigo, that’s the new doctor I told you about. I told you she was pretty,” Shiro said, shaking him lightly.

Ichigo didn’t listen. He was still caught up in the fact that he saw someone other than the people who “took care” of him, and ghost.

“I think I heard her say her name. What was it?” Shiro asked.

“Orihime Inoue, I think.” Grimmjow answered.

“Orihime,” Ichigo repeated quietly.

His hand closed around her hairpin.

_“She never did get this. Maybe I’ll see her again…”_

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Orihime felt something poke her face and she sat up in bed screaming, “It was the aliens, I swear! They’re the ones who stole the pickles!”

There was a giggle from beside her and she looked over to see Nelliel smiling at her.

“Nel, what are you doing here?”

“What do you mean, silly? We had a sleepover, remember?”

Ah, that’s right, now Orihime remembered. After that frightening man, Nnoitra, came to visit Nelliel, she asked Orihime to stay with her for the night. She had lost her hair pin, found it in an underground asylum, met a strange boy, and learned some dark secrets. What was worse was that the boy still had her hairpin.

She didn’t have a clue what she was thinking:  asking, no, _demanding_ that Dr. Aizen let her take care of the boy. What was his name again? Ichigo? He could apparently see ghost, and Dr. Aizen said he was clinically insane. She had never dealt with anything like this before. Nelliel was a different story, she had severe memory loss, but something like that could be easily fixed over time. But insanity? Was it even possible to fix insanity?

“Hey, Miss Orihime, what are we going to do today?” Nelliel asked, interrupting Orihime’s thoughts.

“Well what would you like to do today?”

Nelliel made a thoughtful face before her eyes lit up in excitement, “Can we draw and color together?”

“Why of course we can,” Orihime smiled. “Why don’t we bathe first, and then we’ll get started.”

“Okay!”

Nelliel wobbled slightly as she attempted to get out of bed, Orihime quickly rushed to her side, “Careful now, we wouldn’t want you to fall.”

“I’m alright, just a little dizzy.”

Orihime suppressed a frown. Nelliel was probably on the first stages of morning sickness, no thanks to the pregnancy she didn’t even know about. Orihime was more than certain that that horrible man Nnoitra was the cause of Nelliel’s problems, but with lack of evidence she wouldn’t dare make any accusations.

“Orihime?”

“Oh, good morning Rangiku,” Orihime smiled as the busty nurse walked up to her and Nelliel in the hallway.

“Why are you still wearing your uniform from yesterday? Don’t tell me you stayed here all night?”

“I did, Nelliel and I had a sleepover last night. Isn’t that right, Nel?”

Nelliel beamed, “Sure did.”

Rangiku laughed, “I see, did you have a good time?”

“Well, Miss Orihime fell asleep pretty quickly, but after we take our baths we’re going to color. Would you like to join us?”

“Oh I would love to sweetie, but I’m going to be very busy today,” She lowered her voice so only Orihime could hear, “Besides, Dr. Hitsugaya would have my hide if he found out I was coloring instead of doing my job.” Orihime smiled.

“Well, take care ladies,” Rangiku waved as she walked towards the nurse’s station.

“I like her, she’s nice,” Nelliel smiled at Orihime.

“Yes, she is.”

Orihime was glad too, she didn’t want Nelliel to deal with any condescending doctors and nurses.

 

* * *

 

Ichigo sat at his desk, drumming his fingers against the top in boredom. Either Gin or Tousen would bring him his breakfast any minute now, tell him to not do anything rash, and then leave him to do whatever he pleased until the next meal time. It was the same schedule every day, and a rather boring one too. Shiro and Grimmjow were really his only forms of entertainment. They drove him crazy, sure, but if they weren’t there, then he would definitely go insane from lack of company. So he was grateful for theirs, even if it was dead company.

“Morning,” Shiro said as he and Grimmjow popped out of nowhere.

Ichigo jumped before glaring at the two of them, “Are you guys _trying_ to give me a heart attack?”

“Yes,” they both answered.

“Tch. Whatever, what do you want?”

“What do you mean ‘what do you want’? We’ve come to pester you. You should be used to this by now,” Grimmjow grinned.

“Well go bother someone else.”

“Can’t you’re the only person we know of that can see, hear, _and_ feel us. It’s no fun terrorizing people who don’t even know you’re there.”

“I’m sure the two of you could think of a way.”

“Besides, you’re stuck with me until you die, that way you and I can go to mom, dad, Yuzu, and Karin together.”

Ichigo glared, “I thought I told you to not mention them anymore, Shiro.”

“Well why not, they’re our family? They’d be hurt if they knew you were trying to forget about them.”

“Shut up, Shiro,” Ichigo snapped.  “Thinking about them only brings back painful memories. And its no thanks to you, too,” he added, sending his glare towards Grimmjow

“Hey, the only person I killed was him,” Grimmjow replied, pointing to Shiro.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Shiro replied sarcastically. “That really hurt by the way, especially my eyes. “

“Getting shot in the face tends to have that effect,” Grimmjow smirked.

Ichigo looked over at his brother. When he died Grimmjow shot him in the eyes, and now in his ghost form his eyes looked strange. It was as if blood vessels had busted and his entire sclera became black. It was rather creepy.

“ _And,”_ Grimmjow continued, “after seeing the look on your families faces, I vowed to stop serving under Aizen. If it weren’t for that bastard, Nnoitra, the rest of your family would still be alive, and I wouldn’t have this gaping hole in my stomach, no thanks to death row.”

Ichigo looked over at Grimmjow, who indeed did have a gaping hole in his stomach. After Nnoitra killed the rest of Ichigo’s family, he put the blame on Grimmjow. Or rather, he put the blame on Pantera. _Everyone_ knew who Pantera was, and since Nnoitra hated him, it was a piece of cake getting rid of him.

Grimmjow had died by getting shot in the stomach twenty times. The firing squad that was in charge of his execution had horrible aim. Either that or they were sadistic bastards who enjoyed giving their inmates the most painful death they could think of.

After Aizen had learned that Ichigo could see ghost, particularly one of his former Espada, he threw Ichigo into the asylum and treated him like an insane person. After all, no one was going to believe that Dr. Aizen was actually the leader of the most feared group in Karakura, especially when the person who told them claimed he could see ghost.

The door to his room creaked open. Ichigo expected to see Gin or Tousen, but no, he saw Aizen instead.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“My, aren’t we cranky this morning? I’ve brought your breakfast, _and_ I have news for you .”

“Is that right? Well I don’t particularly care.”

“Starting tonight, you’re going to get a new caretaker,” Aizen said, ignoring Ichigo.

Ichigo looked at him in shock, “ _What?”_

Yes, Dr. Orihime Inoue. You remember her don’t you? She was the young lady that was wandering around down here last night.”

“Is he talking about that hottie? Damn, now I’m excited.”

Ichigo ignored Shiro’s crude comment, “You’re lying, I don’t believe you.”

“I assure you I’m not. I’m telling you this now so you won’t be surprised when she shows upm and to tell you to not scare her off with your ghost nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense and you know it!”

“I might, but do you honestly think she’d believe you? Don’t get your hopes up, Ichigo.”

“Then why are you sending her down here in the first place?” Ichigo growled.

“Why? To give you company of course. It must get lonely down here, after all.”

Ichigo glared, “Well tell her not to bother; I don’t need anyone’s pity.”

“It’s hard not to pity and insane person Ichigo. She’ll be here tonight.”

He left before Ichigo could say anything else, and as soon as the door closed he punched the wall in retaliation.

“Damn it. Fucking bastard.”

“Look on the bright side, Ichigo: something good might come of this.”

“I highly doubt it.”

 

* * *

 

“Miss Orihime?”

Nelliel and Orihime were currently in the community shower together, washing up. By the tone of Nelliel’s voice Orihime could tell something was wrong.

“Is something the matter, Nel?”

“I don’t feel very well…”

Moments later Orihime heard a retching sound in the shower next to her, and sobbing soon after.

“Oh no,” she thought.

She walked out of her shower, still naked, and into Nelliel’s who was huddled in the corner, shaking. Her sick was descending down the drain and tears were streaming down her face.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, I felt fine earlier,” she sniffed.

“Oh sweetie, it’s ok. Let’s head over to the toilet, alright?”

Nelliel nodded her head and Orihime wrapped a towel around herself and another around Nelliel before leading her to one of the stalls.

After about five minutes, Nelliel stopped.

“Are you alright now? Orihime asked, stroking Nel’s hair.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Alright, well let’s get dressed and then we can start coloring like you wanted , ok?”

Wiping away the tears from her eyes, Nelliel smiled, “Ok.”

 

* * *

 

Aizen watched as Orihime and Nelliel walked down the hallway together, “Dr. Inoue?” he called.

Orihime stopped, “Yes sir?”

“Could you meet me in my office for a minute? I have certain… _things_ to discuss with you?”

“Yes sir. Nelliel, this will only take a minute, ok?”

Nelliel merely nodded and Orihime followed Aizen into his office.

“Is something wrong sir?” she asked as she sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

“I visited with Ichigo Kurosaki today, you’ll be starting your caretaking with him tonight.”

She blinked in surprise, “Oh? Was he surprised?”

“He wasn’t particularly enthused about it. I’d be careful though, he can be pretty unpredictable.”

“Yes sir.”

Orihime was slightly worried. She hoped this Ichigo fellow wouldn’t be distant the entire time she took care of him.

“Is that all sir?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

Orihime got up from her chair and as soon as she had her hand on the door Aizen stopped her, “Oh and one more thing: You can’t mention this to _anyone_. Remember that.”

She suppressed a shudder as his eyes bore into hers. Almost daring her to defy him, “Yes sir, I understand.”

“Good. Now run along, Nelliel is waiting for you.”

 

* * *

 

“That’s a very pretty picture Nel,” Orihime said, admiring the picture Nelliel had just finished drawing, and was now coloring. She got the supplies from the Children’s side of the Hospital from a very friendly man named Dr. Ukitake.

Nelliel smiled gratefully before she continued coloring. In truth, “pretty” didn’t even begin to cover Nelliel’s picture. Before she lost her memory, Nelliel must have been when heck of an artist, and now that she was drawing again, she must have subconsciously dipped into her old abilities again. This excited Orihime, because it meant things were progressing.

Nelliel looked over at Orihime’s drawing, “You’re picture looks pretty too.”

Orihime looked at her drawing. She certainly didn’t think it was, compared to Nel’s, “It’s not near as pretty as yours. Besides, I haven’t drawn in such a long time; I’ve gotten rusty over the years.”

Nelliel pouted, “Why did you stop?”

Orihime bit her lip. This was a very touchy subject.

“Well you see Nel, my brother, Sora, was an artist, and he and I would make pictures together. It was a lot of fun, and we’d hang our pictures around the house. We always had a good time together, he and I. But then he died in a car wreck, and I’ve stopped drawing ever since then. That was 10 years ago, he’s the only family I had.”

Orihime suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her, “I’m sorry,” Nelliel sniffled.

Orihime patted her head, “There, there. You don’t need to cry, there’s no need to cry.”

“B-but you must be so lonely.”

“I’m not lonely, I know my brother is with me in spirit, and I know I’ll see him again one day.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Of course I do. Just like I believe _you_ will get better,” she tapped Nelliel on the nose, who giggled.

“I bet the hairpins you wear are from him too, huh?” Nelliel asked.

“Yes they are.”

_And one of them is still in possession of a potential insane person._ She added to herself as an afterthought.

 

* * *

 

Shiro, who was currently lounging on Ichigo’s ceiling, suddenly made a gasp of realization and hopped to the ground, startling both Ichigo and Grimmjow.

“What is it, what’s wrong?” Ichigo asked in a panic.

“I figured out where I had seen that hairpin before,” Shiro replied, pointing the blue hairpin in question.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, “I thought it was something important.”

“So did I.” Ichigo added. “Besides, you saw that Dr. girl wearing her other one when she was down here last night, and you probably saw it on her when you were wandering around up there yesterday.”

“No, I wasn’t looking at her face,” Shiro countered.

“Honestly you’re so juvenile.”

“I died when I was 17, what did you expect?”

“Whatever,” Ichigo replied, waving him off, “So why are you so excited?”

“Do you remember when I was alive and that girl came to dad’s clinic with an older boy on her back? He was holding those hairpins in his hand.”

“Now that I think about it, you’re right. And just before he died he asked dad to give the hairpins to his sister. That woman that was down here last night, she’s the girl. I recognize her now.”

“But she didn’t recognize you? That seems strange, don’t you think?” Grimmjow added.

“That happened ten years ago. A lot has happened since then, and if I were in her position, I would want to forget about the family that failed to save her brother, too… Great, now I really don’t want her to be my _caretaker._

 

* * *

 

The day had finally come to an end. After coloring countless pictures for hours with Nelliel, Orihime’s hand was cramped and tired. Nothing else had progressed in terms of Nelliel’s memory either. Orihime was hoping she would draw a picture of people she remembered, but she didn’t. Still, subconsciously remembering that she was an artist was a big step for Nelliel in Orihime’s book.

“Miss Orihime, are you going to stay with me again tonight?” Nelliel asked hopefully.

“I’m sorry Nelliel, but I can’t tonight.”

She looked disappointed, “Well why not?”

“Well remember how I told you about my brother?”

Nelliel nodded.

“Today is actually the anniversary of his death, so I usually spend the evening visiting the places we often went to, and I end the evening at his grave, where I talk to him.”

Her excuse was actually partial truth. She usually _did_ spend the evening of April 3, today’s date, doing exactly what she said she was going to do. Tonight was different though, she wouldn’t be doing any of that. Instead she’d spend the entire evening taking care of someone who claims he could see ghost.

“No,” she thought to herself, “I can’t think this way. I don’t really even know this Ichigo fellow. It’s wrong for me to judge him. He could be very nice, and something bad must have happened for him to be put in an asylum. He must be lonely too…”

The more she thought about how lonely he probably was, the more she began to sympathize with him. She had experience loneliness before, after losing Sora. She still does feel lonely, on occasion.

Orihime clapped her hands together , “Well, I better get going Nel. My brother’s waiting for me.”

 

* * *

 

Dr. Ichimaru led Orihime down the dimly lit staircase towards the underground asylum. She was quiet, not really sure what to say.

“You sure are quiet, Dr. Inoue.”

“Oh, it’s just, I have nothing to say…”

“What did you think of Mr. Kurosaki, hmm?”

“Well, I’m not really sure what to think of him right now. He didn’t speak when I was down here the last time.”

“Well you probably frightened the poor boy,” Gin teased.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“No worries. Dr. Inoue. I doubt Mr. Kurosaki will talk to you still, regardless of how friendly you are to him.”

Orihime frowned. She didn’t want him to not talk to her. How could she accomplish anything if he didn’t?

They arrived in the dank hallway. Orihime didn’t notice just how creepy it was the last time.

“Where is his room, Dr. Ichimaru?”

There was no answer. Orihime turned to find that she was alone.

“Perfect. How on earth am I supposed to find my way through this place on my own? I guess nothing will get accomplished if I just stand here.”

She began walking down the hallway, her foots echoing against the floor. Every room she saw was bare and she was beginning to think that finding this Ichigo Kurosaki in this maze was next to impossible.

“If you’re trying to find my room, you’re going the wrong way.”

Orihime gave a small shriek and spun around. Ichigo Kurosaki stood in front of her, staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

“My goodness, you frightened me,” she said, putting her hand over her heart.

Ichigo said nothing, but merely turned around and began walking away. Orihime stared after him, dumbfounded.

_What on earth?_

He stopped and turned his head to look at her, “Well? Are you coming or not?”

She blinked, “Oh. Yes, I am.”

 

* * *

 

“Here we are,” Ichigo said as he opened the door to his room. He watched as Orihime looked around the room.

“Sorry, there’s not much seating, you can sit on the bed if you like.”

“Oh that’s alright, thank you,” she replied, taking a seat on the bed. “Let’s start things off, shall we? I’m-”

“Dr. Inoue,” Ichigo interrupted. “I know. You probably already know my name too, so I see no need for introductions, Dr. Inoue.”

“My name is Orihime, and I’d much prefer it if you’d call me that instead of Dr. Inoue.”

“Seems a little informal, doesn’t it?”

She smiled, “I don’t see my patients as patients, I see them as my friends. I find that healing them works much better that way.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be your friend, and I certainly don’t want your _healing.”_

“Mr. Kurosaki, I only want to help you…”

“Well I don’t want it! In fact, I don’t need it. Just run your diagnostics or whatever it is you Psychotherapists do and leave.”

“No.”

Ichigo looked at her stupidly, “Excuse me?”

“I said, no. I’m sorry, Mr. Kurosaki, but I don’t abandon my posts. Ever. If you don’t want my help, that’s fine, but I’m going to help you anyways.”

“I don’t need it. I’m not crazy.”

“I never said you were.”

“I can see ghost. Do you believe me?”

Orihime stayed silent, Ichigo gave a sinister half smile “I knew it. You’re just like everybody else.”

Orihime sighed and stood up, walking over to where Ichigo was standing. She grabbed his hands comfortingly and Ichigo looked at her, shocked.

“Mr. Kurosaki, my job isn’t to make you stop believing in ghost, or admit that they’re not real. You’ve been stuck down here, with no one to talk to, for years. You must be lonely. My job is to make you see the beauty of life once more, to show you that you no longer have to be alone. My job is to be your friend.”

She dropped his hand and he stared down at her, wide eyed. She smiled at him.

“Let’s start over, shall we? My name is Orihime, Inoue.”

She held out her hand for him to shake. He stared at it for a while before grasping it, “Ichigo Kurosaki.”

Their hands dropped and there was an awkward silence until Orihime spotted her blue hairpin on Ichigo’s desk, “My hairpin! Oh, thank you for keeping it safe.”

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, “Uh, yeah. Sorry for not giving it to you before. I was a little surprised to find someone else down here.”

“Oh that’s alright,” she replied, putting the pin in her hair. “I’m just glad it was kept safe.”

“That’s really special to you, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is. They were a gift from my brother.” She noticed Ichigo frown, “Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Orihime was about to argue when she felt a strange pressure on her shoulder, making her jump.

“Is everything alright?” Ichigo asked.

“I just felt something on my shoulder.”

“What?”

Orihime felt that same pressure graze her bottom, causing her to blush with embarrassment, “It just touched me again.”

“Where?”

She glanced behind her, before looking back at Ichigo, her blush deepening.

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed, “Alright you two, that’s enough. Leave her alone.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Well now, this is certainly an interesting development,” Shiro said, cocking his head to one side and studying Orihime.

“Interesting indeed. Hey can you see us?” Grimmjow asked, waving his hand in front of Orihime’s face.

She continued to look around the room in confusion, “Ichigo, what’s going on?”

Ichigo glared at his ghostly companions, “I said leave her alone, guys.”

They ignored him.

“So she can’t hear us.”                                                                

“Nor can she see us.”

“But she can definitely _feel_ us.”

Orihime gave a squeak as she felt a pair of invisible arms wrap around her waist, and invisible lips kiss her hand.

She saw Ichigo punch the air around her, and when he did the forces that held onto her let go.

“Damn it you two! Can’t you see you’re making her uncomfortable?” He turned to Orihime, who had just seen him shouting at nothing, a look of shock on her face, “Are you alright?”

She didn’t answer him, but was staring in the direction of the mirror that was in the room. Ichigo looked at it and his eyes narrowed at the scene he saw:

Grimmjow and Shiro were fogging up the mirror, and writing a message on the glass.

“Please ignore them, Orihime.”

But it was too late. Orihime’s eyes widened even more as an invisible finger wrote the word “Boo” on the mirror. She blinked, and laughed a little before swaying and blacking out.

 

* * *

 

Orihime blinked rapidly and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

She looked at her surroundings. She was still in Ichigo’s room, but Ichigo was nowhere around.

She panicked and was about to open the door to go look for him when the door opened itself. She gave a small shriek, taking Ichigo aback, who was on the other side.

“Are you alright?”

“You-you were gone and I was worried and-”

“Shh. Calm down. Have some water and take a seat,” He said, handing her a glass of water.

“Thank you,” she replied, taking a seat on his bed while he sat down on the chair.

“You probably think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy.”

“Well if I’m not crazy than what am I?”

She smiled, “You’re Ichigo.”

She finished her glass of water, handing it back to Ichigo.

“Are you alright now? I apologize for frightening you earlier.”

“Yes, I’m fine.  But this will take some getting used to.”

“Well they didn’t exactly help matters,” Ichigo grumbled, “scaring you like that.”

“Oh it’s quite alright. I’m sure they were only having fun. After all, you’re the only one that can see them, hear them, and feel them. It must have been new and exciting to have someone else at least be able to feel their presence.”

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, “Are you saying I’m boring?”

“What? Oh, no I didn’t mean it like that, honestly!”

Ichigo laughed, “Relax, it was just a joke.”

She blushed, “Oh.”

“So this is your first time sensing spirits?”

“Yes. Which is strange. I’ve never been able to sense my brother—he died a few years back—so why these guys?”

“Well some things can’t be explained. I don’t know why I can see them, but I can,” Ichigo replied, leaning back in his chair to place his feet on the desk.

“I see.  Are you connected with them somehow? Maybe you have some unfinished business with each other? I hear that spirits stay in the living world when they have something here they don’t want to let go of.”

“Connected? I guess you could say that. As for unfinished business, no they don’t have any.  They’ve stuck with me because, well…it’s a little complicated to explain. What about you? You don’t think your brother had any unfinished business?”

She shook her head, “No. His death was tragic, but I think he knew that I would be alright in the end. Besides, I don’t need to see his ghost to know he’s watching over me.” She touched her hairpins, “He had these for me before he died. He never had a chance to give them to me personally, but before he passed away, he gave them to the doctor who tried to treat him. The doctor told me that Sora said ‘Please give these to my sister. Let her know that even though I’ll be gone, I’ll always be with her.’ Because of that, I know that Sora is watching over me. I never got to thank that doctor…”

“But why would you want to? Are you not upset that he failed to save your brother?”

“I do wish Sora was still alive, but that doctor did everything he could. He tried, and that’s what matters. Besides, he gave me Sora’s final message, and for that I’m eternally grateful. I want to thank him for that, but it happened such a long time ago I don’t remember who he is. “

_Even if you did you wouldn’t be able to thank him anyways since he’s dead “_ Well maybe you’ll find him someday.”

She smiled, “I hope so.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Um, is it alright if I’m properly introduced to them? I’d like to get a fresh start. What are their names?”

“Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Shiro Kurosaki.”

At the sound of their names, the two ghosts appeared in the room.

Orihime’s eye widened, “Kuro-”

“He’s my brother if you’re wondering if we’re related. He died when he was 17. We’re twins.”

“And how old are you now?”

“24.”

“Oh. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“It’s fine.”

“Well what about the rest of your family? Do they not come and visit you? Surely they know you’re here.”

“They’re dead too. Everyone in my family is dead.”

He looked at Orihime, who’s eye were beginning to well up, “Stop that. It’s nothing to cry over.”

“B-but, you’re all alone!”

He shrugged, “You get used to it. Besides, I’m not really alone. I’ve got Shiro and Grimmjow here with me, even if they are a pain in my ass.”

Orihime watched as Ichigo was hit by something, or rather someone she couldn’t see. He seethed, “Bastard.”

“Oh? Are they here right now?”

“Yeah , they’re here,” he grumbled.

Orihime stood up and bowed, “My name is Orihime Inoue. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Ichigo sighed, “They’re not over there, they’re over there,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction Orihime was facing, “and stop that, you’ll only encourage them.”

She sat back down, “Oh. I see.”

“So, Dr. Inoue, how are you going to go about “fixing” me, hmm?”

“I’ve told you before I’m not here to fix you, I’m here to-”

She stopped, a look of realization on her face. Ichigo looked concerned.

“Are you alright.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered.

“Pardon?”

“You shouldn’t be here!” she said more loudly, taking Ichigo aback, “You- Everything you’ve told me is the truth. I have to tell Dr. Aizen  that he’s made a mistake, and that he needs to release you. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

She made her way towards the door, but Ichigo grabbed her wrist, stopping her, “Don’t go.”

She looked at him confused, “But Ichigo-”

“Don’t go. If you go bursting into his office telling him that I _can_ see ghost, then he’ll put you in here too, because he’ll realize that you’re a threat.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Aizen isn’t who you think he is. He-let’s just say he’s a bad person.”

“How? What has he done?”

“He orchestrated the murder of my family.”

She was silent. Ichigo frowned, “You don’t believe me, do you?”

She shook her head, “Well, it seems a bit far-fetched, to be honest. Though I was sure Dr. Aizen did threated to kill me if I told anyone about you. I’d like to listen to your story, when you’re ready to tell. In the meantime, would you mind telling me what your ghostly companions look like?” she asked, pulling out a pencil and a notebook out of her bag.

“Why?” Ichigo asked.

“Well why not?”

“You can’t see them, or hear them, so does it even matter?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Oh, and how so?”

“Because I at least what to picture what you are able to see, Ichigo.”

Ichigo sighed, she was a stubborn woman, “Alright fine. We’ll start with Shiro I guess. He looks exactly like me,  though 7 years younger we were identical twins after all, but death did weird things to him.”

“How so?” Orihime asked, sketching out a replica of Ichigo’s face, save for the facial features, which she left blank for now.

“Uh, he’s about as white as the paper you’re sketching on, skin and hair. Oh, and when he died, he was shot in the face, particularly in his eyes, so his sclera are black. And he usually has this psychotic grin on his face.”

Orihime finished the sketch and looked over it. Shiro did look exactly like Ichigo, only a bit more frightening. Actually, a lot more frightening. “He looks, uh, charming.”

“Did you hear that Ichigo? She thinks I’m charming,” Shiro said smugly.

“Idiot, she was obviously being sarcastic.”

The smug grin on Shiro’s face dropped, “Oh.”

“Um, did I hurt his feelings?” Orihime asked, worried.

“Oh no, just bruised his ego a little. Hey what are you doing?” Ichigo asked as his dead twin began to fog up the mirror in his room. “Hey, stop that!”

But it was too late, Shiro had managed to draw a sad face on the fogged up mirror.

“Oh Shiro, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you. Ah, where are you?”

Orihime felt someone grab on to her hands, “Oh! Um, I’m sure you’re actually quite charming, you just seem a little frightening is all. Of course, it isn’t your fault in the slightest. I bet you were great company when you were alive. Maybe we could have been friends?”

“That’s enough, Orihime. Stop.”

“Did I make him feel better?”

“You didn’t need to. I told you, all you did was bruise his ego. Besides, he was staring at your breasts the entire time so I doubt he heard a single word you said.”

“O-oh,” Orihime said, covering herself up. “Um, would you mind describing, erm, Grimmjow was it? That’s an interesting name.”

“Yeah, not sure what his parents were on when they name him- _ouch!”_

“Are you alright?”

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, I’m fine. Anyway, Grimmjow is a bit rugged looking. Um, he has light blue hair, as weird as that sounds, gree tattoos under his eyes and this weird attachment on the right side of his face that looks like a jawbone. There really isn’t any use in explaining why he looks that way, it’ll just confuse you.”

There was a loud gasp from Orihime after she finished with the sketch.

“Are you ok?”

“P-P-Pantera!”

Grimmjow grinned, “Oh she knows who I am.”

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, “Yes, he was infamously known as Pantera, but why- Hey, put that down! You’ll hurt yourself.”

He grabbed the lamp out of Orihime’s hand, who had raised it and started swinging it around as if she were fighting someone off.

“But he’s a murderer!”

“Yeah, a dead one. Not much of threat is he?”

He’s _killed_ people.”

“I’m well aware of that. He’s the one who murdered Shiro.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me that the guy who killed your brother is now one of your ghostly companions along with your brother…whom he killed?”

“Yes.”

Orihime placed her hands on her temples, “This is a lot to take in.”

Ichigo sighed, “I guess I’ll have to explain things to you sooner than I thought. Bear with me, please. I know it’ll be a lot to take in, but just be patient with me and wait to ask questions until after I finish.”

Orihime nodded, “I understand.”

“There is a secret, underground gang here in Karakura, and the leader of this gang happens to be Sousuke Aizen. It’s an underground gang, because hardly anyone knows about them, and if you do that either means you’re working for them, through means of blackmail and cohersion, or you’re the next victim on their hit list. I don’t know how big exactly this gang is, but one thing I do know is that the most prominent group in the gang—aside from Aizen and his right hand man, Gin Ichimaru—are the Espada. There are ten of them. Or, there _were_ ten, until Grimmjow died. The thing about the Espada is that all of them go by their codenames. You know Grimmjow as Pantera because that was his codename. Most people, like you, knew who Grimmjow was because he wasn’t exactly quiet about his killings. The rest of the Espada kept their real name and their codenames a secret until they were about to kill you, or they had business with you. Everything making sense so far?”

Orihime nodded, “Yes, please go on.”

“When Shiro and I were about 13, I think, our father was having financial trouble with the small clinic he ran out of our house. It was tight living situations, especially having four kids in the house.”

“You have siblings besides Shiro?”

“ _Had._ I had two younger sisters. Yuzu and Karin. But that isn’t important right now. As I was saying, my dad was having trouble with finances. He was desperate, so he asked Aizen for help. Aizen agreed on two conditions: There would be a monthly fee, and the second condition was a “surprise” that he would think of later. Over the years I had become . . . acquainted, I should say, to some of the Espada. Aizen never came to our house directly to collect the money, but always sent one of the Espada instead. It always shocked me, because they weren’t much older than I was if not the same age when I met them. I didn’t meet all of them, but I met a few. Shiro met them too.”

“What were their names? Or their codenames, I guess I should say. Did they enjoy working for Aizen.”

“The only ones who came, other than Grimmjow, were Murciélago, Santa Teresa, and Gamuza. Murciélago and Santa Teresa are boys, or men, I should say, and Gamuza is a woman.  According to Grimmjow, Murciélago is difficult to read so he never knew, Santa Teresa loved it, and Gamuza hated it. She was one of the ones who was blackmailed into working for Aizen. Again, that really isn’t important though.”

“Right, sorry.”

“Anyways, when Shiro and I were 17, Aizen himself came to our house, accompanied by the three previously mentioned Espada, and Grimmjow of course. Honestly, we were a little surprised to see him, because it had been so long since we had seen him. He said that he wanted to have dinner with our family. Of course, dad couldn’t defy him so we had to invite them into our home.  And that’s when things started to get . . . bad.”

Ichigo paused, a troubled look on his face.

“If you don’t want to continue, it’s fine. I understand.”

“No. No, this is the most important part of the story so there is no use in stopping now. It’s just hard to talk about, that’s all.”

“Well take your time. I don’t mind waiting.”

Ichigo gave a half smile, “You are far too kind, you know? Well, as I was saying, we invited Aizen and the Espada into our home. Aizen noticed that Yuzu and Karin weren’t around and when he questioned it the Espada weren’t even aware that Shiro and I had sisters. Dad always made sure that Yuzu and Karin were either at a friend’s house, or in their rooms when the Espada came to collect payment. But this time, dad didn’t have time to prepare to get them out of the house since Aizen arrived so suddenly, so he was forced to bring them down stairs. It was when he saw all four of us kids together that he decided what his second payment was.”

“He wanted the four of y’all to become part of his gang?”

“Yeah, Why Aizen had such an interest in pre-teens and teenagers I really don’t know. But he wanted us to become a part of his ‘group’. From what Grimmjow told me, there were two ways to become a part of Aizen’s gang: blackmail, and choice. In either case, Aizen would approach the adolescent he was interested in and tell them some bullshit lie about how they can make them great. A lot of the ones he approached were orphans, so the idea of greatness seemed great to them. It wasn’t until after they made the choice to join his gang that they figured out what they were getting themselves into. But once you’re in Aizen’s gang, the only way out is death. Those that were blackmail had families, like I did, and had no interest in joining his gang. But Aizen, being the kind of person he is, does anything and everything he can to get what he wants. When someone tells him ‘no’ he destroys everything that person loves until they have no choice but to join him. Like I said, it’s unclear why he takes such an interest in adolescents, but it’s most likely because it’s so easily to emotionally manipulate us, especially if we have nothing to live for. I sorry this is taking so long. You must be bored, huh?”

Orihime shook her head, “No, I’m not. Please tell me everything.”

“As I said, Aizen saw ‘potential’ in me, Shiro, and my sisters. I’m assuming he heard about all the fights Shiro and I got into a school and thought we’d be good at beating up people he didn’t like. I’m not really sure. Any-”

“Wait,” Orihime interrupted, “why did you and get into fights at school?”

“Oh, Shiro and I were delinquents in high school,” Ichigo smirked as if it we something to be proud of.

“O-oh.”

“Does that change your opinion of me?”

“No. Well, you just seemed so nice. I never really expected it.”

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, “You think I’m nice?”

Orihime nodded, “Mhm. I haven’t even known you for a full day, but I think you’re nice. I mean, you do always have a scowl on your face but I think anyone would after being lock away for so long.”

Ichigo began to blush, “Oh, uh, thanks I guess.” He shot a glare over at Grimmjow and Shiro who were snickering in the corner. “Like I said though, I can probably guess why Aizen was interested in Shiro and I, but as for Yuzu and Karin, I don’t even want to know what he would have used them for. They were only 11 at the time. Dad, of course didn’t like the deal and refused. He said taking away us kids was out of the question, but he’d do anything else. The rest of the dinner was awkward and silent.

“On the next evening, my parents went out, leaving Shiro and I to watch over the house and take care of Yuzu and Karin. We heard the doorbell ring. The next thing I remember was seeing Shiro answering the door, hearing gunshots, and then seeing Grimmjow in the doorway. Shiro was lying on the floor, blood trickling from his eyes since that’s where he was shot. My sisters were cowering behind me, and I guess whatever look they gave Grimmjow caused him to not kill the three of us. He just left after that.

                “After my family buried Shiro, we were never the same. Dad was beginning to lose weight and had bags under his eyes as if he never went to sleep. Mom would go to his room and clean it every day as if he she were expecting him to come home at any time. Karin started skipping school and would mope around the house. And Yuzu would cry herself to sleep every night. Losing Shiro was really hard for her. Out of the four of us, they got along the best.

                “The next week, I went out to run errands for the family since no one else wanted to. When I got home I saw someone, I couldn’t tell who it was setting my house on fire. I would have chased after him, but I was too preoccupied with saving my family. I could hear my sisters and my mom and dad screaming. I tried to get inside but all of the windows and doors had been sealed from the outside. They had no way out and I had no way in. While I was trying to find a way in to save them someone knocked me unconscious.

“I awoke to find myself in Aizen’s hideout. He told me ‘I’m sorry I had to do this but that’s what you’re family gets for saying no.’ Later that day I found out that Grimmjow had been caught and was put on death row. Aizen said that death was the punishment for those who break his rules and Grimmjow deserved to get caught. About a month later, I figured out that Grimmjow had been set up. He and Shiro both appeared to me. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit frightened of them. I told you what how death changed Shiro’s appearance. And Grimmjow had this giant, gaping hole in his stomach. His execution was death by firing squad. His executioners shot him in the stomach twenty times. Of course, Shiro immediately started beating up on Grimmjow the moment he saw him. I guess anyone would if their killer was right in front of them. After I had managed to calm myself down because of the fact that I could see dead people, and Grimmjow and Shiro stopped beating each other up, I was informed by Grimmjow that it was Santa Teresa, whose real name is Nnoitra, was the one who set my house on fire. Grimmjow wasn’t even anywhere near the scene of the crime that night. But, since the public knew who _Pantera_ was, Nnoitra put the blame on Grimmjow, and so Grimmjow was sent to death row.

“I told Aizen that I knew the truth: that Nnoitra killed my family, and the Grimmjow had been falsely accused. He didn’t believe me at first, asking me how I would know something like that. I told him Grimmjow’s death was being shot in the stomach twenty times by the firing squad, and that Grimmjow _did_ kill Shiro. He believed me after that. He knew that I would be a threat to him since I could see my brother’s ghost and the ghost of one of his ‘employees.’ He declared me ‘insane’ and I’ve been locked here ever since.”

Orihime’s eyes were downcast, “Aizen did all of that because your family told him no?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“And no one has tried to help you?”

“Everyone thinks I’m dead. Everyone thought I died along with my family. Besides Aizen and his group of followers, you’re the only person who knows I’m alive.”

There was silence.

You’re looking a bit pale, are you alright?” Ichigo asked, noticing Orihime’s complexion.

“Can you tell me where the nearest bathroom is?”

“Huh? Oh, just take a left down the hallway and it’s the 7th door on the right. But it’s dir-”

“Excuse me!”

Orihime rushed out of the room, leaving Ichigo to wonder what was wrong. His questions were answered when he heard retching sounds echo down the hallway.

“Oh no. . .”

* * *

 

Orihime turned away from the toilet as she flushed it and walked out of the bathroom. She leaned against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. Hearing Ichigo’s story literally made her sick to her stomach. She was so angry, disgusted, and sad. How could anyone be so _evil?_

“Orihime?”

She looked up to Ichigo kneeling in front of her, offering her a glass of water.

“Here,” he said.

She smiled weakly at him, taking the water. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” she said after taking a drink.

“No, it’s fine. I would have done the same thing.”

Orihime’s eye brimmed with tears.

“Please, don’t cry. There’s no use in crying over something you can’t fix.”

Ichigo was caught off guard when Orihime suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to lose his balance so he was sitting instead of kneeling. He began to blush. She was practically sitting in his lap.

“Um, it’ll be ok,” he said, patting her head awkwardly. “I told you, there’s nothing you can do to  fix the situation I’m in.”

Orihime pulled away, a determined look in her eyes. “I told you I’m here to help you, and that’s what I’m going to do. I am going to do everything in my power to get you out of here. I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6

            Orihime yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was exhausted to say the least. It had been a week since she first started working with Ichigo Kurosaki and she was so drained of energy and extremely sleep deprived. During her day shift she was with Nel, and at night she stayed with Ichigo so she really had no time to rest except for small, 30 minute during breaks. She didn't even realize she had nodded off again until someone gently shook her awake.

            She raised her head, startled. Ichigo looked at her with concern.

            "You know, doing these double shifts really is taking a toll on you. You should really rest more often."

            "I can't." she replied, standing up to stretch, "I have a lot of work to do and people to take care of. I don't have time for rest."

            Ichigo cocked an eyebrow, "I thought we agreed you weren't taking care of me, you're just my companion?"

            Orihime smiled sleepily at him, "You're right. Well I need to go upstairs to start my day shift. I'll see you this evening, Ichigo."

            "You're resting when you come back, ok? It's pointless having a companion who can barely stay awake," he smirked.

            She smiled at him before closing the door.

* * *

 

            Ichigo sighed, and laid down on his bed, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. It had only been a week since Orihime became his "healer" and although he wasn't going to mention it to her, her presence was having a positive effect on him. Of course there was no progress in the "healing" factor since she knew that everything he had told her was true, but there was progress in other things as well, like the fact that Ichigo had begun to open up more than he had in years. It was nice to have someone to talk to. Not only talk to, but _understand_ what he was going through. At least partially. She couldn't see or hear Shiro and Grimmjow, but she _could_ feel their touch. She knew they were there. Even if she _didn't_ understand, she was still a great listener. Shiro and Grimmjow listened to him, sure, but to have an actual live person listen to him, and _believe_ him. For so long he thought there was never going to be someone out there for him to talk to. Now there was.

            "Ichigo!"

            Ichigo glared at his dead brother who was floating above him, "What?!"

            "I've called your name three times. What's got you in such a daze?"

            "Nothing," Ichigo replied, turning his head away.

            "Probably thinking about that girl, weren't you?" Grimmjow asked as he popped out of nowhere.

            Ichigo scoffed, "No."

            "You _like_ her, don't you?" Shiro teased, a grin spreading across his face.

            "What? No, don't be stupid. I mean she's very nice and pretty, and she makes nice company."

            "So you _do_ like her?" Grimmjow asked joining in on the teasing.

            "Yes." Ichigo shook his head rapidly, waving his hands, "I mean no, I don't- I mean yes." He sighed rubbing his hands through his hair, "I like her as a person, ok? I've only known her for a week, how can I like her the way you two are imply in that short amount of time?"

            "We didn't  implying anything, you just assumed we did," Shiro smirked.

            Ichigo groaned. There really was no winning with these two.

* * *

"Orihime, you look like you haven't slept in days!" Rangiku noted as Orihime passed her in the hallway. Nel wanted to color again today and Orihime was walking back from the Children's section of the hospital with a stack of paper and colored pencils in her arms. She smiled sleepily at Rangiku.

            "Oh no, I'm fine, Rangiku. I'm a light sleeper so things wake me up easily and I can never fall back asleep. I'm used to it though."

            Orihime hated lying, but she was in no position to tell the truth. The consequences would be too severe.

            "Well go get a cup of coffee or something and liven yourself up! You're making _me_ exhausted and I'm not evening doing anything."

            "And why _aren't_ you doing anything?" Hitsugaya's voice barked from behind Rangiku.

            Rangiku smiled sheepishlly at Orihime who shrugged back with a smile and continued walking towards Nelliel's room. She was almost there when another voice called out to her.

            "Miss Inoue."

            She didn't even have to turn around to know who that was.

            "Yes, Dr. Aizen?" she asked, facing him.

            "Step into my office for a moment, please."

            "But sir, I need to get back to Nel-"

            "Nelliel can wait a few more minutes. I want to talk about your progress with Mr. Kurosaki."

            She nodded, sensing it was pointless to argue, "Yes sir."

            She followed behind him entering his office.

            "You look awful," a voice drawled from behind her. It was Gin Ichimaru. She was beginning to wonder if he actually worked at the hospital or if he just hung around with Aizen all the time.

            "It's been a long week," she replied, smiling sleepily at him.

            "Take a seat, Miss Inoue," Aizen said, sitting down in his own chair. She followed his orders and sat down, stacking the papers and pencils in her lap and folding her hands over them.

            "So tell me, how are things progressing with Mr. Kurosaki so far? It _has_ been a week."

            "Well, I think things are progressing well. Slowly, but well. I've gotten him to open up to me a lot which I'm sure is a big milestone for him."

            "Has he talked to you about his ghost friends?"

            "Oh yes."

            "And do you believe him?"

            Orihime laughed, shaking her head, "Oh no, not even a little bit. But I've earned his trust by listening to him talk about them. I don't tell him he's wrong or right, I just listen to him. It's given him peace, I think."

            "Peace?"

            "Yes. In fact, the last two times he didn't even talk to me about his ghost friends, nor did he "talk" _to_  them. I think that's the key to curing his insanity, giving him a companion. After all he's been stuck down there for so long, it's no wonder he'd gone insane. Wouldn't you?"

            Aizem smiled, "I suppose i would, yes."

            "Then why do you have him cooped up down there all by himself?" she challenged.

            Orihime knew why, but she wanted to see what he would say. Aizen raised his eyebrow slightly at her inquiry. "The boy's dangerous, Miss Inoue. He hasn't attacked _you_ yet because of the calming aura you project, but others? There's no telling who or what could trigger him. It is safer for him to stay down there where only a few people know where he is. But if you succeed in healing him, he'll be able to go out into society again. So work hard, Miss Inoue. There's only 23 more days until the month is over."

            "I understand sir. If we're finished, I'll be going now."

            "Yes we're finished. I'll ask for your progress in another week."

            Orihime got up, thanked him, and walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

            "She's hiding something." Gin said as he and Aizen were left alone in the office.

            "Of course she's hiding something. After all, Ichigo Kurosaki is a hard man to crack and the fact that she's been this successful in such a short amount of time is enough proof that she's not telling us everything she knows."

            "Would you like me to watch her?"

            "Not yet. Give it a bit more time. She might inadvertently reveal herself to us."

* * *

            "There you are!" Nelliel smiled as Orihime entered the room. "I thought you had gotten lost."

            Orihime laughed, "No I got distracted, sweetie. But this is a large hospital, I could have easily gotten lost."

            She sat down on Nelliel's bed, placing the paper and pencil's between the two of them.

"What are you going to draw, today, Miss. Orihime?"

            Orihime tapped her chin. "I'm not sure. What about you, Nel?"

            "Animals!" Nell replied, beaming.

            "Then, I'll draw animals as well.”

            The two sat quietly together, coloring and drawing their pictures. Orihime colored, but her mind was elsewhere.

            _What am I going to do?_

She had no clue how she was going to present her “progress” to Aizen next time. If she sounded too redundant and didn’t given him solid information he might begin to suspect something. More importantly though, she needed to figure out a way to get Ichigo _out_ of there. But how? She couldn’t just bring him upstairs, and either Gin or Tousen came into his room every night to give him food right before she always came down to see him so if she ever went down earlier than she did then she’d definitely look suspicious.

            “Mss. Orihime?” Nelliel asked softly beside her.

            “Hmm? What is it, Nel?”

            “You stopped coloring. Are you alright?”

            “Oh I’m fine. I just have a lot of things on my mind.”

            “Oh. You can tell me, if you want.”

            Orihime bit her lip. She really _did_ want to tell someone what was going on, but could she trust a woman who had the mind of the child? She didn’t have to tell her _exactly_ what was going on, but maybe she could ask for advice based on the situation? Yes, this is what she would do. Even though this woman was not physically a child, mentally she was one, and children always seemed to give the best advice.

            “Well Nel, I need some advice. Do you think you could help me?”

            Nelliel nodded, “I can try.”

            “Well, I have this friend who’s in a lot of trouble. He’s stuck in a place he doesn’t belong and I want to help him get out. I don’t know how to help him, though.”

            Nelliel tapped her chin, deep in thought. “I think, when you are stuck in a place you don’t want to be, the best thing to do is to create an escape yourself, instead of waiting for someone to create an escape for you. Once you create your own escape, _then_ it will be easier for others to help you.”

            Orihime stared at Nelliel in awe as Nel continued coloring her picture again. For a moment, just a moment, Nelliel wasn’t a child, but the woman she was _supposed_ to be.

            “Thank you, Nel. That really helped me a lot.”

            Nelliel smiled at Orihime, “I finished my drawing, wanna see?”

            “Oh, yes please.”

            Nelliel handed her drawing to Orihime and Orihime looked at it quizzically. The drawing had a large cat, what looked like a jaguar, and a goat or antelope type creature. Those two animals were an odd pair in and of itself, but what was even odder was the _markings_ on the animals. The jaguar had no spots save for black tips on its tail and ears. The rest was completely white. It had unnaturally blue eyes and green markings right beneath them, which to Orihime looked suspiciously familiar. The antelope/ goat animal was a light tan color, which seemed normal enough, but over the bridge of its nose was a red stripe that looked a lot like the stripe on Nelliel’s face.

            “This is a very nice drawing, Nel. I would have never paired those two animals together.”

            Nel cocked her head to one side, “Really? I think they would make great friends.”

            Orihime laughed, “Is that so? You know, this one remind me of you. It has a red mark on its nose just like you do.”

            Nelliel looked back at the drawing and smiled, “She does! I didn’t mean for it to be drawn that way. That’s funny, huh?”

            _I think the animal is you, Nel._

            “It is. Do these two have a name?”

            There was a reason Orihime was asking if the animals had names. She was convinced that Nelliel had subconsciously drew herself and an old friend she knew before her memory loss as animals. The antelope creature was Nel, that was obvious. The jaguar on the other hand. . .

            Nelliel nodded, “The antelope’s name is Gamuza, and the kitty’s name is Pantera.”

            Orihime looked back at the drawing. Of course. _Now_ she understood why the eyes and markings underneath them look so familiar. She herself had sketched those exact same eyes earlier that week.

            “Those are interesting names, Nel.”

            “Yeah, I came up with them myself,” Nel smiled. She placed the drawing in Orihime’s hand. “You can have this if you want.”

            “Oh sweetie, I couldn’t possibly take your drawing.”

            “But you’re not taking it, I’m giving it to you.”

            Orihime smiled, “You are, aren’t you? In that case you can have mine.” She handed over her own drawing of a blue bird to Nel.

            Nelliel beamed, “Oh, thank you!”

            “Thank _you,_ Nel.”

            _Truly, thank you._

 

* * *

 

            The door to Ichigo’s room burst open, startling him.

            “What the hell?” he noticed Orihime standing just inside the door, her hands on her knees, panting. “Are you alright? Did you just run all the way down here and to my room?"

            She straightened up, regaining her composure. “I’m alright, and yes I did run. Where is Grimmjow, is he here?”

            Grimmjow popped up next to Ichigo, a curious look on his face. Shiro appeared in the room soon after, also curious about why Orihime had suddenly burst inside Ichigo’s room.

            Ichigo raised an eyebrow, “Yeah he’s right here,” he nodded to his left. “Is something wrong?”

            Orihime looked at, what seemed to her, an empty space next to Ichigo, but she knew Grimmjow was there.

            “What is Gamuza’s name? Her _real_ name?

            Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at her despite the fact she couldn’t see him, “Her name is Nelliel.”

            Orihime looked at Ichigo, waiting for him to give her Grimmjow’s reply.

            “Grimmjow said her name is Nelliel.” Ichigo informed Orihime.

            Orihime gave a short, not so amusing laugh. She sat down on Ichigo’s bed and put her head in her hands.

            “Orihime, what’s _wrong?_ ” Ichigo asked sitting down next to her.

            She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, “Nelliel, Gamuza, she’s my patient. She’s the one I’ve been taking care of during the day time when I’m not down here with you.

                                     


	7. Chapter 7

Bleach (c) Tite Kubo

Story (c) Me

* * *

 

Grimmjow grabbed Orihime by the shoulders shaking her.

"What do you mean she's your patient? Why? What for? What's wrong with her?"

Orihime was startled as she felt someone shake her, seeing nothing there. She had a feeling, though, it was Grimmjow, and he was asking her questions.

Ichigo pulled Grimmjow away, "Stop it, there's no need to attack her!"

"I'm not attacking her, I want to know why Nelliel is her patient!"

Ichigo turned back to look at Orihime, his expression voicing Grimmjow's questions.

"He wants to know why she's in the hospital, right?"

Ichigo nodded.

"She's in there because of a serious brain trauma. She thinks she's five and doesn't remember any part of her life from that point on. Not you, not AIzen, or being a part of the Espada. I think she might have some sort of subconscious memory tucked inside, though, which I why I figured out she's Gamuza. Before I came here to tell you, she drew a picture of a panther and an antelope and called them Pantera and Gamuza. So a part of her still knows. She also had signs of sexual assault, and she's pregnant."

The mirror in Ichigo's room suddenly shattered, and Orihime jumped.

"Damn it, Grimmjow! You realize I'm going to get blamed for this, don't you?" Ichigo snapped.

"Like a give a damn. Fucking Santa Teresa. If I could, I'd kill the bastard."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset him." Orihime confessed worriedly.

"Don't apologize for his sake, he would have acted that way regardless. He thinks Santa Teresa did it. Is that true?"

"Santa Teresa. . .you said that was Nnoitra, right? There's no evidence against him yet, but yes, I think so. He came to the hospital to visit her one day and she was very frightened of him. He also new about her exact injuries which was highly suspicious to me."

"Told you." Grimmjow replied to Ichigo.

"When do you think they'll get the results back from the rape kit?" Ichigo asked, voicing the question Grimmjow had been silently thinking to himself.

"I'm not sure, I'll ask when I begin my shift in the morning. I'm sorry, Grimmjow. If there's anything more I could do I would."

Orihime felt someone pat her head and then it was gone.

"Was that Grimmjow?"

"Yeah, he just left." Ichigo noticed the frown on Orihime's face. "Really, Orihime, there's no need to worry about him. He'll be alright. . .I think."

* * *

Grimmjow found himself wandering the halls upstairs. He wasn't particularly worried about someone seeing him, but at the moment he wished someone could. He wanted to tell all of them that their system sucked if they just let murderers work in the hospital, Much less just waltz in there. He wished he weren't dead because he could fix this. He didn't know how, but he was convinced he could.

As he continued to wander the halls upstairs he found himself stopping in front of a door. He wasn't sure what possessed him to look inside, but when he did he felt his stomach drop.

There she was. Nelliel. She was sitting up in a hospital bed, reading a children's book. She had the goofiest smile on her face and occasionally she would succumb to giggles as she turned the pages. Grimmjow felt himself grab the handle to her door, but stopped himself. There was no way he could go inside. She wouldn't even know he was there. But as he let go of the handle Nelliel suddenly looked up. She smiled and waved. Grimmjow looked behind him, seeing no one there.

_Is she waving at me?_

He turned back and pointed at himself, in question. Nelliel nodded happily and gestured for him to come inside.

"Hello!" Nelliel beamed happily when Grimmjow peeked his head inside.

"Uh, hi." Grimmjow replied, stepping inside fully.

It was then Grimmjow finally got a good look at her. He balled his hand into a fist at the sight of the scar on her face.

"What are you in the hospital for?"

"Oh, um. I'm just visiting a friend. . .you can see me?"

Nelliel cocked her head to one side, and frowned. "Of course I can. What do you mean?"

Grimmjow shook his head, "Nevermind, it's not important. Anyway, what are you reading?" He asked, sitting down in the chair beside the bed.

She showed him the book cover and he smiled.

Of course. Dr Seuss. You were always quoting anything by him.

"That's a good one."

"It is! Would you like to borrow it?"

"No. I'm fine. That's a rather large scar you got. . ."

Nelliel touched her face with a frown. "The doctors said I hit my head. Something's wrong with my tummy too, see?"

She suddenly grabbed Grimmjow's hand and placed it on her abdomen. He couldn't help but retract quickly when he felt a kick. He felt disgusted.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." she pouted.

"No it's fine. I was just startled. Anyway, I need to get going."

He stood up but she grabbed his hand. "Wait. Don't go."

"I have to, I'm sorry. Besides, you shouldn't talk to strangers anyway."

He took his hand away and stretched. He soon realized his mistake though when he heard Nelliel gasp. She had seen the gaping hole in his stomach.

"Shit!"

"You're hurt!"

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

"No you're not! I'll take you to get help."

She started to stand up but Grimmjow touched her shoulders and forced her to sit back down. "Calling someone in here will do nothing! Don't you get it? Gamuza, I mean, Nelliel, I'm dead. No one here can help me."

Again Grimmjow realized his mistake at the look of horror on Nelliel's face.

"Shit."

"How do you know my name? And why did you call me Gamuza? Gamuza is an animal I made up along with Pantera. Who are you?"

"I'm no one. Just forget you ever saw me."

"Wait! Don't g-"

Nelliel's voice hitched in her throat as she saw Grimmjow phase through the wall. Grimmjow didn't turn around to see her face. He didn't want to.

Once outside the room he saw a couple of doctors, male and female, go inside Nelliel's room.

"Nel, what's wrong?" he heard the female ask.

"There was a ghost in my room! And he knew who I was!"

Grimmjow started to walk away again, but he could still hear their voices.

"Oh dear. Nel, I think it's time for bed. You've been reading too many stories."

"But it's true! Dr. Orihime will believe me, I want to see her!"

"Sweetie, Dr. Inoue's shift is over. She won't be back until morning."

"N-no! I want Dr. Orihime!" I saw a ghost, I really did! Please bring back Dr. Orihime!"

Grimmjow couldn't stand hearing her shouts anymore and he disappeared from the hospital all together.

* * *

 

"You said Orihime was pregnant, right?" Ichigo asked Orihime as the two sat on the bed. Shiro hovered overhead, listening.

"Yes. Which doesn't really line up with the timeline of when she was brought in."

"What do you mean?"

"Nelliel came to the hospital a week before my first day on the job, but she's at least three months pregnant. Otherwise I wouldn't have felt the baby kick."

"So she was pregnant before she got assaulted, then?"

"Yes. And I believe the pregnancy is a result of continuous abuse and this last time Nnoitra took it too far."

"Damn it. Damn it! I swear, that Aizen- and now he's got you in this mess too. I'm sorry, Orihime."

"It's not your fault, Ichigo. Bad people exist. I told you I'll get you out, and I'll help Nelliel too."

"I know but-"

He stopped when he saw Grimmjow reappear in the room.

"You look like shit." He heard Shiro say.

"I agree. Grimmjow, you look awful, did something happen?"

Grimmjow went to the opposite side of the room, avoiding looking at all them. To Ichigo and Shiro, he looked as if her were in pain.

Orihime looked at Ichigo. "Is he back?"

"Yeah, and he looks like he's seen a ghost for lack of a better term. Oi, Grimmjow."

"I fucked up." Grimmjow mumbled in response. "Tell the girl I'm sorry."

"Grimmjow, what happened?"

"Is he ok?"

"I don't know, he's never acted like this."

Orihime's phone suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

Because the room was so empty, the others could hear the caller from the other line.

"Dr. Inoue? This is Dr. Unohana, I'm sorry to disturb you at such a bad time, but I need you to come back to the hospital, Immediately. It's Nelliel. Something set her off and she won't calm down. We're trying to avoid sedating her, but it's looking like we'll have to. She keeps going on and on about ghosts and something called gamuza and pantera. We have no idea what she's talking about or where she got these ideas in her head. You spend the most time with her, perhaps you can decipher what she means."

"I'll be there soon."

She hung up and pocketed the phone. The room was silent for a second and then Orihime gathered her things and left. As she walked down the hall she heard Ichigo yell:

"Jaegerjaquez what the hell did you do?!"

* * *

 

_Nelliel can see Grimmjow. But why? Why was Grimmjow in her room in the first place? Did she recognize him? But based on Ichigo's reactions something bad must have happened. Ugh, no, you don't know that. You'll find out your answers soon._

Orihime suddenly collided with something.

"Ouch." she hissed.

"You sure are going somewhere in a hurry, Dr. Inoue. Did Ichigo finally scare you off?"

She looked up to see Gin, smiling at her. She resisted a shudder. The man was just too creepy.

"No sir, I got an emergency call from Dr. Unohana. Something's wrong with Nelliel.

"Hmm?" he raised an eyebrow. He cearly didn't believe her.

Seeing this, she took her phone out of her pocket and showed him the most recent call, proving herself. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get to my patient."

She shoved passed him, and didn't look back.

* * *

 

"Dr. Inoue sure seemed in a hurry to get out of here." Gin drawled, arriving in Ichigo's room.

Ichigo glared. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just here to check up on things. Aizen's orders."

"Well you can tell Aizen things are fin, and to fuck off."

"My my, what a temper you have. You must have scared the poor girl off."

"That's bullshit and you know it. She got a call from Dr. Unohana. I'm sure you saw her in the hallway."

"Maybe, maybe not." Gin walked fully into the room and picked up one of the broken mirror shards. "Which one of your ghost friends broke it this time?"

Ichigo wanted to punch Gin in the face. "I broke it. Orihime said that breaking things is therapeautic."

"Did she?"

"Yes. Now if you're done, I'd like to get some sleep."

Gin just continued to smile as he turned around and left.

* * *

 

"Is everything alright in here?" Orihime asked breathlessly as she came into Nelliel's room.

Dr. Unohana looked at her, slightly shocked. "Dr. Inoue, I called you not even five minutes ago. You didn't speed did you?"

"Oh, um, yes I did. I'm sorry, I just wanted to get here as fast as I could." Orihime lied. Of course she couldn't tell them she had been in an abandoned asylum right below the hospital.

"Please be careful. As you can see, we finally ended up having to sedate her." She gestured over to Nelliel, who was sleeping. "Is there anything you can tell us about who Gamuza and Pantera are?"

"Yes. I don't know where she got the ghost idea, but gamuza and pantera are the names of animals she drew the other day." Orihime replied, not revealing everything she knew. "Let me see if I can find the drawing she did earlier this evening before the end of my shift."

She rummaged through a bag beside Nelliel's bed, "Ah, here it is. See? Gamuza and Pantera." She showed Dr. Unohana the picture, the names scribbled under their respected animals.

"I see. So you don't think it has anything to do with the criminal Pantera who was executed six years ago? We were all very worried when she started saying the name."

"Oh heavens no! Just a coincidence. When she first showed me the drawings I was worried about that too, but she told me she had made them up. She probably doesn't even realize the coincidence herself."

"Alright. I'll leave you to her then. Maybe she will explain the ghost issue to you. You don't believe her, do you?"

"No ma'am, I don't. But I am willing to lie to her in order to make her comfortable. That is my main priority is my patients comfort."

Dr. Unohana smiled. "Try to get some rest yourself while she's sleeping. And thank you for coming on such short notice."

"It was nothing, really."

And then Orihime was alone with Nelliel. She put her head in her hands and sighed.

"How am I going to put an end to all of this?"

She sat in the chair and looked at Nelliel, taking a hold of her hand. "I promise, I'll fix everything that's happened to you."

* * *

 

Orihime didn't realize she had fallen asleep and awoke to someone shaking her awake.

"What is it? What's going on?" She yawned sleepily, her brain still a bit foggy from the sudden rouse from slumber,

"You came!" Nelliel said happily, hugging her.

Orihime began to remember the events from the night (or rather early morning) before.

Oh that's right. I remember.

She smiled. "Yes I came. I'm sorry I couldn't get here fast enough."

"That's ok. I saw a ghost! No one else believes me, but you do right?"

"Of course I do, Nel! Why don't you tell me everything that happened."

Truly, I believe you. I wish I could tell you why.

"Well I was reading a book." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I was already supposed to be asleep, but I stayed up."

"You were trying to be sneaky I see. What happened next?"

"I saw a man standing in front of my door, so I waved at him and invited him inside."

"Well Nel, that wasn't safe! He's a stranger."

Nelliel frowned. "I know, but he felt safe."

"Alright, what happened when he came inside?"

We talked for a bit. He asked me what I was reading, and about my scar. I showed him what was wrong with my tummy too, but he didn't seem to like that. He told me he had to go, but I didn't want him to. I really liked talking with him. But when he got up, I saw a hole in his tummy! It was this big."

She formed her hands in a circle to show the size of Grimmjow's hole.

Orihime gasped. "Oh no!"

"Yeah, yeah, and so I shouted 'You're hurt!' but he told me he was fine and not to worry about. Well I couldn't just let him be hurt in a hospital, you know?"

"Of course! So then what happened."

"Well I tried to get up to help him but he pushed he back down on the bed and then he shouted and said 'Calling someone in here will do nothing! Don't you get it? Gamuza, I mean, Nelliel, I'm dead. No one here can help me.' So I asked him how he knew my name and why he called me Gamuza. I asked him who he was."

"And what did he say?"

"He said he was no one and to forget I ever saw him. And then he walked right through the wall!"

"Sounds like you had quite the experience! Were you scared?"

"No. . ."

"How did you feel?"

Nelliel didn't respond. Her face furrowed in concentration as she tried to describe how she felt.

"Were you confused?" Orihime suggested.

"Yes!"

"Because he knew who you were?"

"Yeah, and I was sad too."

"Well why were you sad?"

"Well, because he knows me, but I don't know him."

"You didn't recognize him at all?"

Nelliel shook her head, pouting. "I'm trying to remember but I can't."

"Well maybe it would help if you saw him again?"

"You think he might come back?"

"Oh no, what I mean is you can describe how he looked? Maybe looking at a picture will help."

Nelliel nodded, and began describing Grimmjow. Of course, Orihime had heard his description before from Ichigo, so she had no trouble sketching him again.

"Is this him?" She asked, turning the paper for Nelliel to see.

Nelliel nodded. "Yes! But, I still don't recognize him."

Her eyes started to well up.

"Nel, what's wrong?"

She sniffed, "Well. I feel like I'm supposed to know a lot of things, but I can't remember."

Orihime hugged her. "Oh honey, you'll remember things eventually! That's why I'm here, so I can help you. This ghost that came in is a good clue for your memories. Let's study the picture together, and maybe we can figure things out."

Nelliel nodded, wiping her tears away. Before the two girls could do anything however, a knock came at the door, and Dr. Kyouraku, one of the OBGYN's came inside.

"Good morning, ladies. I'm just here to make sure Miss Nel's tummy is ok."

Orihime saw the sonogram machine, knowing what he was really checking on.

"Of course, please come in." She replied, turning the paper over that had Grimmjow's sketch so he wouldn't see.

He quickly did the sonogram (Nelliel giggled at the cool gel) and gathered his things.

"All done!"

"Well?" Nelliel asked curiously,

Dr. Kyouraku laughed. "You're doing great. Everything should be fine with your tummy soon. I promise."

Satisfied with that answer, Nelliel smiled back.

Orihime stayed silent. She needed to talk to Dr. Kyouraku, but she couldn't do it with Nel in the room. A few minutes after he left, she turned to Nelliel.

"Nel, I have to take care of a couple of things. I'll be back, and then we can continue figuring out who this ghost is, ok?"

"Will you come back soon?"

"Of course."

* * *

A knock sounded on Dr. Kyouraku's door.

"Come in."

The door creaked open, and Orihime stepped inside.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir."

"Oh hello Dr. Inoue! It's no problem at all, please come in."

She closed the door behind her and sat down.

"I'll get straight to it. It's about my patient, Nelliel. I was wondering if the results from the rape kit had come back?"

"Yes they have. I just sent the results to the Special Victims Unit. Would you like a copy?"

"Please. Also, she was clearly pregnant before this result happened. How far along is she?"

Dr. Kyouraku frowned. "Four months."

Orihime sighed. "I figured as much. Sir, I believe that whoever assaulted her this last time is the one who got her pregnant. When I am successful in getting her memories back, we need to discuss what options we need to take in regards to the baby. I am not a gynecologist like you, so I would like you to be there when that time arrives."

"Of course, Dr. Inoue. But why do you think the one from the assault is the same person who got her pregnant? You have no proof of that."

Orihime shrugged. "Intuition. Anyways, I need to get back to Nelliel. Thank you for your time."

She bowed politely and with a smile walked out the door.

* * *

"There you are!" Nelliel smiled as Orihime came back into the room.

"I'm back." Orihime smiled in return, sitting down in the chair beside the bed again. "Alright, let's figure out who this mystery ghost could be. is there anything about his appearance you find odd?"

Nelliel studied the sketch. "Well, his hair was blue."

"Ok! Can you recall ever meeting anyone with blue hair?"

Nelliel shook her head.

"Hmm. Ok. . ." Orihime pointed at the jawbone on Grimmjow's face. "This is interesting. Did you ask him about this?"

Nelliel shook her head again. "No, I didn't ask him."

"You didn't find it weird?"

"No. It looked like it belonged there."

"It did? So you'd say it looked natural for him to have it? Something like that isn't normal, though, Nel."

Nelliel tapped her chin. "Huh. I guess you're right! I wonder why i felt like it belonged there?"

"I don't know, but that tells me that somewhere deep inside, you know this person." She pointed to Nelliel's heart as she said this. "Was there anything else about his appearance?"

Nelliel tapped her chin again, thinking, studying Grimmjow's photograph.

"I don't know!" she pouted after a while.

"It's ok, Nel. You're making great progress so far."

"Really?"

Orihime nodded. "Mhm. Now let's see. What do you make of these markings under his eyes? Did you feel like they belonged there? Like you did the jawbone?"

"Hmm. I guess so? I didn't feel the need to ask him about it."

"Do those markings remind you of anything?"

Nelliel picked up the sketch and placed it closer to her face, as if studying it from a closer distance would help her figure things out.

"Well. . .they kind of remind me of Pantera."

Orihime noticed the frown on Nelliel's face. "Why are you frowning?"

"I don't understand why he reminds me of Pantera. . ."

"Well, maybe he's your inspiration for Pantera."

"But how?"

Orihime could tell Nelliel was starting to get frustrated and felt it best to move on at least from Grimmjow's picture.

"Let's stop looking at his picture for now and focus on how he made you feel. That's most important." She suggested, folding the sketch and putting it in her bag.

"It is?"

"Yes. Your reactions towards this ghost is a good indicator of what your relationship was like when you knew him. So how did he make you feel?"

"Um, well. . .I felt safe."

"Safe? You weren't scared at all?"

Nelliel shook her head.

"That's great!"

"It is?"

"Yes! It tells me that whoever this ghost is, you trusted him when he was alive, and you cared about him."

Nelliel smiled excitedly, "I did trust him when he came in! I hope he comes back. Maybe he can help me?"

"I think he will. I hope he comes back for you too."

_I'll make sure he does._

* * *

 

Later that evening, Orihime arrived in Ichigo's room.

"I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly last night."

"It's fine. You had things to take care of. Were you able to calm her?"

"Yes. She just wanted someone to believe her. And I do."

She got quiet.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked, a worried look on his face.

"Is Grimmjow here? Is he doing ok?"

Ichigo looked around the room, Grimmjow wasn't anywhere in sight. Neither was Shiro.

"Both he and Shiro are gone right now, doing who knows what. But he's. . .he's taking this pretty hard. From what he's told me, he and Nelliel were really close."

"I've gathered that much as well. I'd like to talk to him, about her."

"I'll go and find him for you."

Before Ichigo could open the door, though, Grimmjow popped into the room.

"Oh, there you are. Grimmjow, Orihime has something to say."

"Where is he?" Orihime asked. looking at Ichigo.

"He's on the right side of the room, next to the broken mirror." Ichigo replied, pointing in the direction she needed to go.

Orihime walked to where Ichigo pointed, and held out her hand to nothing. Ichigo noticed the odd look on Grimmjow's face directed at Orihime.

"Stop looking at her like that, she wants you to take it."

Grimmjow placed his hand in Orihime's. He wasn't expecting her to pull him into a hug, though. Neither was Ichigo, since his jaw dropped in shock.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked, popping up next to Ichigo.

"I think she's trying to comfort him."

Grimmjow tensed up at the contact, not used to being hugged by anyone. Orihime, despite not being able to see him, felt him tense up and hugged him tighter. She let go after a while, but still held on to Grimmjow's hands.

"Grimmjow, I wanted you to know that I had progress with her. Deep down, she knows you, there's just a wall that's blocking her from fully remembering. But she knows you. She says that you remind her of a drawing she did of a jaguar she calls Pantera. She doesn't understand how quite yet, but it's a step in the right direction. When you were in her room, she told me that she felt safe with you in there. She said she trusted you."

Grimmjow didn't look away as Orihime spoke. Ichigo hadn't ever seen him so quiet before.

Orihime's eyes began to water. "She still cares about you, I can tell by how comfortable she was when she spoke about you. She's so close to remembering you. So, so close. She wants to see you again. She wants you to help her remember. I know it's hard seeing her like this but please, go back and visit her. You're the best person who can help her remember you."

She let go of his hands and stepped back, wiping away from the tears that had spilled from her eyes.

Grimmjow stared at her a few seconds and then disappeared out of them room.

"He's gone, Orihime." Ichigo said, walking up to her and touching her shoulder.

"He is?" she sniffed. "I hope I was helpful."

Ichigo smiled. "I think you were."

Orihime smiled back.

"What do you want to do tonight, Dr. Inoue?" Ichigo teased.

Orihime pulled out her notebook and a pencil out of her bag. "Actually I was thinking it's time we start planning the best way to get you out of here."

Ichigo sat down on the bed, and motioned her to come sit next to him. "With pleasure."

* * *

 

Nnoitra and the other Espada under Aizen's command were in their secret hideout, Nnoitra repeatedly throwing knives at the wall.

"I heard you went and saw Gamuza." Yammy Llargo, whose codename was Ira, said.

Nnoitra laughed. "Yeah. Poor thing, I almost feel bad."

"You're an idiot."

It was Tia Harribel who spoke, otherwise known by her code name,Tiburón. She was the only female in the Espada other than Nelliel. And Now that Nelliel was currently incapacitated, she was the only one.

"The hell did you just say?"

"I said you were an idiot. Surely you would have realized the consequences of going to her."

Nnoitra was about to retort when Aizen and Gin walked inside. The room got quiet. They could tell by the air around them that Aizen wasn't happy.

"Nnoitra."

His voice was soft, and cold.

"Yes, sir?"

"Can you tell me what this is?"

He threw something at Nnoitra, who caught it.

Nnoitra raised an eyebrow. "It's a condom."

"So you do know something. Tell me, what's the purpose of one?" Aizen asked, his tone sharp.

"Make sure someone doesn't get pregnant? Or a disease?"

Aizen walked up to him, and suddenly kneed him in the gut. Nnoitra collapsed to his knees, gasping.

"Nnoitra, Nnoitra, Nnoitra. Clearly you weren't thinking during your last episode with Nelliel because the hospital just got the results back from her rape kit."

He dropped a paper front of Nnoitra. "They found your semen. I let it slide when you got Gamuza pregnant, but I'm feeling I won't be so kind to you this time. What will you do without a lawyer, hmm? I suggest you pray that I get you one."

Nnoitra looked up, the color drained from his face. "What do you mean, she's pregnant?"

Aizen smiled, his eyes flashing angrily. "Don't tell me you weren't aware? She's at least four months right now. Congratulations."

He began to walk away leaving Nnoitra still kneeling on the floor.

"Or should I really be saying that?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back from the dead! I'll be honest, I probably won't update for a while again because that's just who I am as a person!


End file.
